Page 30 of Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon, Idaho 3)

“Smart-ass,” his dad said. “All I ask is she isn’t a Democrat; I don’t care if she’s bowlegged with a squint, but if she’s a lefty, you’re fired.”

He laughed. “You have to pay me a wage to fire me. I look at this more as a partnership.”

“Well, partner, you bring home a good girl with the right way of thinking, and your old man can die a happy man.”

“Just for that, I’m

going to make sure she’s not just a Democrat but a vegetarian.”

His dad shook his head. “Well, as long as she makes you happy, I guess I could adjust.”

Chapter Eight

* * *

ON THURSDAY MORNING, after loading up her Chevy, Val looked from her sister’s innocent face to Gus’s wide, panting mouth. Crossing her arms, Val started to repeat the rules one more time, but Ellie made a sound of exasperation, cutting her off.

“God, I know, I know. Feed and water the dog, don’t have people over, especially men, and don’t have any fun. Will you just go?”

“For someone who owes me big-time, acting like a spoiled brat is probably not the best move,” Val said, reaching out to yank her sister’s hair.

“Ouch, you’re going to rip my hair out!”

Rolling her eyes, she hugged Ellie before she bent over to say good-bye to Gus. “You be good, and be sure to tell me if she doesn’t treat you nice.”

Gus’s massive jaws widened like he was smiling at her, and he snorted, reaching out a large paw. Patting his head, she walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in just as Ellie said something.

She stuck her head out of the door. “What did you say?”

“Nothing, just have fun!” Ellie hollered back.

Shrugging, Val started up the truck and pulled out onto the main road, still trying to find some silver lining to a weekend full of awkward blind dates. So far the clouds were looking pretty dark on the horizon.

THANKS TO A snowstorm slowing her down just outside Jackpot, Nevada, Val finally pulled off the highway at the True Love exit an hour later than she’d planned. She thought the name sounded ridiculous, but it wasn’t that strange for Nevada; they had Deeth Starr Valley, after all.

Val passed a few modular homes and trailers as she entered the main stretch of town. The business names had her smirking a little, making use of the word love, and nearly all of them were painted some shade of red.

Right past Love N’ Locks Beauty Shop was the True Love Inn. She parked in front of the office, grabbed her purse, and jumped out into the blistering cold. Even with a jacket and gloves, her nose and lips immediately lost all feeling.

Hurrying inside, she stood by the door and waited as the pretty woman behind the desk helped someone else.

“Well, I hope you enjoy yourself at least, and don’t write off finding someone special. My grandmother is the real deal,” the woman said before disappearing into the back.

Val fought the urge to snort as the guy took his keys and spun around.

Her gasp was loud and embarrassing. “Justin!”

“Valerie, what’s going on?” His grin gave her the distinct impression he wasn’t surprised to see her there. How would he have known, though? She hadn’t told anyone except . . .

Ellie. Val cursed her sister’s meddling. The last thing she wanted was for Justin to think she was desperate enough to need a setup. “Um, just doing a favor for my dad. What are you doing here?”

“There was a mix-up at the radio station and I ended up winning an all-expenses-paid weekend,” Justin said, waving his hand around, “to True Love. A place founded on their ability to match you with your perfect person.”

His mocking tone made her smile a bit. So she wasn’t the only one who thought the whole matchmaking thing was a load of bullshit. Still, if he had used his all-expenses-paid weekend as an excuse to bump into her, was that creepy? And if it was, why was she fighting a wave of giddiness?

“Uh-huh. It’s kind of a funny coincidence, bumping into you,” Val said as she stepped past him toward the counter. Her suspicions that she was being set up intensified when his eyes widened innocently.

“Is it? And here I was thinking my luck was so fantastic, I needed to buy a couple of scratch tickets.” He leaned against the counter next to her, his heat and proximity making her insides Zumba dance.

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