Page 7 of Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon, Idaho 3)

Kat Country’s night DJ, Harold, broke through Justin’s deep thoughts as he announced the ten-day forecast and then, suddenly, Brad Paisley’s voice sang out through his speakers.

Remembering the radio contest, Justin pulled over. He grabbed his phone and dialed the number, waiting impatiently as it rang.

“Come on. Come on.”

Harold came over the line.

“Winner! Winner! Who do I have on the line?”

“It’s Justin Silverton.” His normally deep voice sounded almost squeaky to his ears; he’d never won anything.

“Well, Justin, you’ve won two front-row tickets to see Brad on Valentine’s Day in Boise. Do you have a special girl you’re planning on taking?”

“Not yet, Harold.” Justin grinned, thinking it wouldn’t be hard to find a date for a concert, even on Valentine’s Day. And if worse came to worst, he could always take Everett.

“All right. Hang on, man, and we’ll get some information from ya.”

Justin held the line until Harold came back and took his name, address, and phone number. He hung up feeling good and pulled back onto the road, the drive going by faster as his brain considered potential dates. But one face stuck out in particular. A face that held a pair of dark brown eyes and pale, creamy skin.

You heard what she said, idiot. She’s not dating, especially not a man her uptight daddy can’t stand the sight of.

Valerie Willis would never agree to go out with him; he might as well push her from his mind before he made himself crazy.

VALERIE WAS SITTING on the couch, scrolling through the satellite channels while Gus panted beside her, when she heard her sister’s door open. Without turning around, she called, “Hey, you wanna watch a movie? Your choices are a scary stalker movie on Lifetime, a Katherine Heigl movie on HBO, or—”

“Sorry, but I’m heading out,” Ellie said, cutting her off.

Val turned to look at her sister—and the lingerie she called clothing—and resisted the urge to yell.

“You should probably just take the shirt off; it’s not like they can’t see the whole thing anyway.” Val shouldn’t have said it, but geez, it was eighteen degrees outside, and Ellie was wearing a white crocheted sweater with a black bra beneath, showing patches of skin through quarter-sized holes. Her ripped jeans were skintight with boots pulled over the skinny legs. Even in her heyday, Val had never been so obvious.

Ellie rolled her hazel eyes and flipped her hair. “Whatever; don’t wait up.”

Val called after her sister’s retreating back, “Uh, no. Where are you going and when will you be back? I don’t want to worry about you.”

Ellie spun around, exasperated. “Oh, come on! I left one dictator, I don’t need another.”

Val took a breath and counted to ten as she stood up, walking around the couch to stand in front of her sister, who was only a few inches taller but whose frame made her seem bigger. She envied her sister’s curves. Val barely filled a B cup, and with short legs and narrow hips, she definitely lacked back.

“I’m not trying to control you, Ellie. You’re an adult, but if you’re staying with me, I need to know you’re safe.”

“I’ll call you. We’ll probably just go to Buck’s or something,” Ellie said, her tone turning screechy with irritation.

Val wished she could explain why she was so overprotective, but that would drag up all kinds of dark memories better left buried. The best she could do was say, “Thanks for letting me know. Just send me a text once in a while so I know you aren’t lying dead in a ditch, okay?”

“No prob.” Ellie gave Val a brief hug, and when they pulled back, she asked, “Do you want to come? It would be good to get you out of this old-lady funk you seem to be enjoying.”

Val changed her voice to a high-pitched, shaky tone, mimicking an old woman. “Back in my day, missy, I could have taught you a thing or two about being bad.”

“Then come on, Granny, lets party.

I promise fun.” Ellie’s gaze traveled over Val’s yoga pants, bulky sweater, and slippers, frowning. “You have to change, though.”

Val laughed and shoved her sister toward the door. “Get out of here. And be safe.”

“I’ll help you get your groove back, Val, just wait and see.”

Ellie grabbed a puffy jacket and slammed the door behind her, making Val wince as a few of her knickknacks teetered on the edge of breaking.

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