Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon Romance #3)

by Codi Gary

  “Girls, let’s take our seats. It was good to see you, Marcie.” Edward put his hand on the small of her back and hissed through gritted teeth, “What did you do?”

  “Nothing she didn’t deserve.”

  Her father’s groan was loud and exasperated, but Val didn’t care. She saw Justin sitting a few rows up and said, “Excuse me.”

  “Valerie—”

  She ignored his warning tone and came up behind Justin, tapping his shoulder. He glanced back and stood up with a smile. “Well, hey there.”

  “Hey. I have to go keep my sister from my father’s evil clutches, but I wanted to say hi.”

  Before she could do anything else, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a chaste kiss. “That’s how we say hi.”

  Val looked past him to see his father and brother watching them and cleared her throat. “Well, now that we’ve caused a scene and my father is no doubt having a heart attack, I’d better go.”

  “I’ll find you after.” He released his hold on her and she went to find her seat, the skin-crawling sensation of everyone’s gaze on her making her feel naked.

  What was wrong with greeting your lover with a chaste kiss?

  She sat down next to her sister, ignoring her father’s seething.

  When the pastor took the podium, Ellie leaned over and whispered, “Dude, you are my fucking hero right now.”

  Val tried to hide her smile, but as she looked up, she saw Justin turn in his seat, grinning. He waggled his eyebrows, and she coughed, smothering her laugh. When her father’s attention was once more on the pastor, she blew him a kiss, and he held up his hand like he was catching it.

  Though she shook her head at the silliness of it, it didn’t stop their silent flirting. They were like two kids being naughty under their parents’ noses, and suddenly, her mood shifted. Glancing at the clock, she couldn’t wait for the service to end so she could kiss him.

  What has gotten into you?

  She didn’t have an answer; the best she could come up with was happiness. Happiness had finally gotten into her.

  And it was all tied up in the sexy man currently making a duck face at her.

  “Mr. Silverton, do you need some help with something?”

  The preacher’s voice jerked both of them to attention, and Justin called out, “No, Pastor Guzman.”

  The preacher smiled. “I know I’m not as pretty as Miss Willis, but I’ll try to keep you entertained.”

  Val groaned as every eye turned their way, and her father muttered several choice curses.

  On the bright side, he’d probably never want her to go to church with him again.

  THE SERVICE ENDED and Justin stood up, following his dad and brother toward the exit, anxious to get out and find Val. And as if the thought had conjured her, he suddenly saw her standing with her father and sister by the open doors, looking bored as Edward talked to a couple of men at the front of the church.

  Breaking away from his family, Justin snuck up behind her and grabbed her hand. When she turned startled eyes his way, they slowly gave way to sparkling joy. “Hey.”

  “Shhh. Come on.”

  Justin glanced over her shoulder toward her dad, who had his back turned, before leading her down the stairs of the church, smiling as they passed a few worshippers.

  He couldn’t wait to get Val in his arms.

  They’d just rounded the toolshed behind the church when he backed her against the wall and kissed her. Her hands held onto his waist as he explored her mouth, wishing he didn’t have to stop, ever.

  He whispered against her mouth between breaks for air, “I was going to head over to your place after church, but since you’re already here . . .”

  “Mmm . . . you can still come over, if you want.”

  His hand slid down her back and snuck up under the hem of her skirt until he gripped her ass, pressing her against his aching hard-on. “I think that’s probably a good idea.”

  “Hey, Justin!”

  He pulled away from Val with a curse at his brother’s warning call and smoothed her skirt back down. “We’re about to be interrupted.”

  She giggled, and Justin took her hand, leading her out of hiding to find his brother waiting for them.

  “Valerie Willis, this is my brother, Everett. Everett, this is Val.”

  “Good to meet you, Val,” Everett said, holding his hand out for her to clasp.

  “You too, Everett. I heard you’re the funny one,” Val said.

  “All true. I’m also the handsome one,” Everett said with a wide smile, stretching the skin of his face until his scars hardly showed.

  “I can see that, although I have to say, I don’t think your ass is as nice as your brother’s.”

  Justin sputtered as Everett’s eyes widened before he burst into startled laughter. Wiping his eyes after he calmed down, he advised, “Oh brother, she is a keeper. I like a woman who speaks her mind.”

  “It’s in the genes. No matter how inappropriate it may be, we Willises like to say whatever pops into our heads.”

  “Well, I think it’s refreshing,” Everett said, taking her hand and pulling her away from Justin. “Come on, let me introduce you to our dad.”

  Justin wanted to protest, but they were already walking away toward the front of the church, so he had no choice but to follow behind, cursing meddling older brothers.

  EVERETT LED VAL to an older man who obviously, if the condition of his weathered skin was any indication, had spent most of his life in the sun.

  “Valerie Willis, this is our father, Fred. Dad, this is Justin’s Val.”

  Val was startled by the way he introduced her. Justin’s Val?

  Holding her hand out to Justin’s dad, she smiled nervously. Brothers were one thing, but parents tended to pay attention to rumors and reputations. She just hoped Justin’s dad would give her the benefit of the doubt.

  “It’s good to meet you, sir.”

  “Likewise. You’re as pretty as your mama was.”

  Val was surprised by his statement. “You knew my mom?”

  “Oh yeah. We went to school together. Believe it or not, my wife and your mom were best friends once upon a time.”

  “Oh, that’s funny,” Val said, catching sight of her father gesturing to her angrily.

  “Well, Valerie, if you aren’t doing anything tonight, what do you say you come over for dinner? I get awfully tired of spending my nights with only these yahoos for company.”

  Val looked at Justin, who shrugged. “That sounds fantastic.”

  “Good. Well, we’ll head home and pull out the company plates. It was good to meet you, Val. Justin, see you at home.”

  Val saw her father start barreling toward her and jumped up to kiss Justin’s lips. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

  “I’ll pick you up in a few hours,” he said, and she hurried to catch her father before he made a scene. Too late, she realized he was beyond his breaking point.

  “Damn it, Valerie, I’ve had it with you. It’s bad enough you are deliberately using that man to hurt me, but now you’re embarrassing yourself with your antics. For God’s sake, young lady, you are . . .” He looked around, as if just then realizing where he was. “We’ll finish this conversation in the car.”

  But it was too late for him to backtrack; his outburst had sent the people around them into shocked silence. But the worst part was what he had said; now the whole town thought she was using Justin in some kind of rebellious plot.

  Glancing toward Justin, she shook her head, hoping he’d get the message that it wasn’t true, but he was already walking away.

  She whirled on her father. Damn the crowd that had gathered; she was going to say her piece. “Being with Justin has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the fantastic orgasms. Get over yourself.”

  She started toward the street, her father yelling behind her, but she kept walking. Ellie caught up to her quickly, grinning from ear to ear.

  “I worship y
ou so much right now.”

  Val couldn’t believe she had said it, but she was beyond reason. How dare he try to jeopardize what she had with Justin? What if Justin had heard what her father said about using him and thought it was true? And worse, then she’d let her temper get the best of her and said that stupid thing about orgasms. Her stomach rolled with nausea. She’d only wanted to shock people, but what if Justin didn’t forgive her for saying she was with him because of the sex.

  You’re stressing an awful lot over a man who you’ve been seeing for only a few days.

  She just didn’t want the happy feelings to end.

  The walk home took half an hour, and as they rounded her street corner, Val could no longer feel her face, her knees, or the toes of her feet in her boots. She hadn’t dressed for walking three miles in a skirt.

  When they arrived, Val saw her father’s car parked in front of her house and wanted to throw something. As they came up alongside it, he rolled down his window.

  “I have important guests coming to dinner tonight and you will be there, young lady.”

  “Actually, I won’t because I made plans,” Val said, heading up the porch steps.

  “I have the new assistant DA coming, for Christ’s sake!”

  “And I’m sure Ellie will charm the pants right off him, but I will be at the Silvertons’ farm, having dinner.”

  Before her father could say more, she opened the door to her house and slammed it behind Ellie.

  “Thanks a lot for throwing me to the wolves,” Ellie grumbled.

  “Oh, come on. Dinner with young, successful men? What’s wrong with that?”

  “Whatever,” Ellie said, pushing past her toward her room.

  Val hit the answering machine, listening to the only message, from Caroline, who asked her to call. Must be important if she’s calling three times in one week.

  Picking up the phone, she dialed Caroline’s cell as she walked into her bedroom to find something to wear for dinner. She wanted to look nice without being snooty, and that meant jeans with a blouse.

  “It’s about time you called me,” Caroline said.

  “Hey, sorry. Things have been kind of crazy.”

  “Too crazy to call your big sister back?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Val told her about Justin, and their father’s reaction. Caroline was sympathetic. “Yeah, I had the biggest crush on this one guy, but Dad would have done worse to me.”

  “Who was it?” Val asked, curious.

  “Not important. What is important is that I’ve found my bartenders and I have a potential buyer, so I might be out of here sooner than I thought. Do you think you can look around for a place for me to rent? I don’t need much; even a studio apartment would work.”

  “I’m happy to, but I have to say, I can’t wait to tell Dad.”

  “Actually, don’t. I’d rather surprise him.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  * * *

  WHEN JUSTIN CAME to pick her up later, Val caught him on the porch. “I’m sorry.”

  “About what?” he asked, giving her a quick kiss.

  “For what my dad said at church. You aren’t a part of a rebellion,” she said, taking his hand. “The sex is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not just . . . I just like being with you too.”

  He leaned down and gave her another kiss, this one longer, with extra toe-curling tingles. When he pulled away, he whispered, “Don’t worry about it, although announcing to the whole town how great I am at orgasms probably wasn’t the best idea. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing with women begging me to demonstrate, and I keep telling them the woman I’m dating is little but tough.”

  Smacking his arm, she pushed past him. “You aren’t funny.”

  “No, what’s funny is my best friend’s wife screeching at me for not telling her I was seeing you. Now she wants to meet you officially.”

  Stephanie Brown wanted to get to know her? “When?”

  He helped her up into the truck and squeezed her knee. “I don’t know. There’s no rush, though.”

  Twenty minutes later, they pulled off onto the Silvertons’ bumpy dirt road, past the homemade SILVERTON FARMS sign.

  “I love this road.”

  He laughed. “You do?”

  “Yep. When I need to burn off steam or just get some perspective, I go out to the hills across the bridge and do some off-roading.”

  “I never would have pegged you for a girl who likes going mudding.”

  “I guess there’s a lot you don’t know about me,” she teased.

  Val hopped out of Justin’s truck when it finally stopped, smiling as she approached the two-story farmhouse. “So, what’s for dinner, anyway?”

  Justin came around and took her hand. “Probably meat and potatoes. You know how we men are.”

  Val looked out over the acres of farmland from the wraparound porch as he opened the door for her. “This is beautiful.”

  “Tell my dad that and he’ll love you forever.”

  Val stepped into the parlor and looked over at the walls of pictures, some more than twenty years old.

  “Well, hey, there she is.”

  Val turned with a smile as Fred came around the corner and gave her a big hug, pulling back just enough to keep his arm around her waist.

  “She is such a pretty little thing, Justin. You take care of this one, you hear?”

  “Will do, Dad.”

  Val raised an eyebrow and mouthed this one?

  He made the sign for crazy against the side of his head, and Val let Justin’s dad lead her into the kitchen where Everett stood in front of the stove with a black apron tied around his waist.

  “The guest of honor has arrived. Come over here and try my sauce. I made homemade pasta. Tell me what you really think,” Everett said.

  Justin shook his head, but she ignored him, breaking his father’s hold to stand next to Everett. Opening her mouth, she tasted the end of the spoon he held out to her, and the tangy tomato sauce made her lick her lips and hum appreciatively.

  “That’s delicious. I thought meat and potatoes were on the menu.”

  “Nope, we have fresh pasta and salad and garlic bread,” Everett said with a smile.

  “Yummy; I’m impressed. Can you make fresh pasta?” Val asked Justin as she picked up a couple of plates from the counter with the intention of setting the table, but Justin grabbed them from her.

  “You’re a guest. Go sit down and watch football with Dad while I help out in here,” Justin ordered before kissing her cheek. “And no, I can’t make homemade pasta.”

  “Where did you learn how to make it, then?” she asked Everett, wondering why the room had descended into tense silence.

  What had she said?

  Everett cleared his throat but answered her. “My ex-wife’s family was Italian. She taught me.”

  Val felt like a heel and was thankful when Justin patted her arm. “It’s okay. We’ll be right in.”

  Val went into the living room with Fred and sat down, watching him tip back a tumbler toward his lips.

  “You like football?”

  “Not really.”

  “It’s just because you don’t understand. Here are the rules . . .”

  JUSTIN WALKED INTO the living room to tell them it was time for dinner only to hear Val yelling at the TV. “Come on, come on, hurry up you son of a—”

  “What’s going on in here?” Justin asked, amused.

  “Your dad is teaching me why football is awesome.”

  Justin took hold of her hands and laughed when his dad stood up and winked at him. “The girl catches on quick.”

  Helping her to stand as his dad passed by, Justin leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Why are you so awesome?”

  “Just born that way, I guess.”

  Justin led her into the dining room and sat her down across from him.

  “So Valerie, you’re a dog groomer, right?” Fred aske
d.

  “Yes. It’s not what I went to school for, but I really wasn’t interested in joining some big corporation.”

  “Damn the man,” Everett said deeply, and they laughed.

  “Maybe you can give my Australian shepherd a trim this summer. He gets these huge mats, and his coat is so heavy, I can’t imagine it’s comfortable for him,” Fred said.

  “I’d loved to. Bring him by any time you want, no charge.”

  “Now, now, I’ll pay whatever you charge—”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it—”

  “I insist—”

  “If you try to pay me, I’ll give it back. I’m stubborn; ask your son.”

  Justin nodded solemnly. “It’s true. The time I had just getting her to go out with me was brutal.”

  Suddenly, he was hit in the forehead by a cherry tomato. His father and brother burst into surprised laughter, and Val stuck her tongue out at him.

  “Man, I like you, Val. Hey, Just, can we keep her?” Everett asked.

  Val stiffened but his dad saved the day by telling her about the time Everett and Justin had snuck into the kitchen to steal a piece of pie but had ended up dropping it. They’d tried to blame the dog, but their mom had had a look that could crack a walnut.

  “I always said she could have worked at Quantico,” his dad said, finishing off another whiskey.

  Through the meal, Justin watched Val’s easy interactions with his father and brother, telling jokes and laughing at their stories, even as his dad tipped back his fifth drink and started to slur his words.

  Can we keep her?

  His brother’s question still raced through his brain, and Justin knew, without the shadow of a doubt, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Val. His mother would have called it romantic, but he wasn’t so sure Val would like his train of thought.

  By the time they’d finished the meal, his dad was getting especially obnoxious. Justin suggested they put him to bed before he did something they’d all regret. Unfortunately, his dad decided loudly that he wasn’t going to bed unless Val tucked him in.

  Without a word, she helped Justin carry his dad up the narrow staircase to the first bedroom. Once they’d deposited him on the bed, they worked together to get his shoes off, then pulled the blanket up and over his passed-out form.