Page 40 of Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon, Idaho 3)

She opened the door and stepped out with a smile. “Can you help me put this on?”

His eyes raked over her as he took the jacket, holding it out so she could shrug into it. “How was the shower?”

Remembering trying to wash her hair, she grimaced. “Painful.”

“Well, you look great.” He didn’t sound happy about it.

She paused buttoning and looked over her shoulder at him. “What’s with the tone?”

“I don’t have a tone.”

Turning around to face him, she smirked. “I heard it. It was grudging.”

“I’m just thinking about the men waiting to slobber all over you,” he said, his expression fixed into a dark scowl.

“You sound jealous,” she said, ignoring the little zing of glee.

“Damn right I am.”

THE MINUTE THEY’D walked into breakfast, Val had been surrounded by people, with Justin pushed to the perimeter of the community center.

“I see our heroine survived her ordeal.”

Justin looked down at Dorothy’s silvery bun and grimaced. “Yeah, she’s better.”

“And acquiring quite the slew of admirers, including the good doctor.”

Justin glared into the sea of faces, and sure enough, there he was, standing right next to her. Too close. And the way he was whispering in her ear was too intimate for Justin’s taste.

“There’s no use growling about it, honey. Why don’t we take a walk over there, and I’ll introduce you to a lovely dental hygienist from California?”

“Why would I want to meet another woman, let alone one from California?” he asked.

“Because then your Valerie won’t think she’s got your balls in a vice.”

The crude phrase from the sweet voice shocked the hell out of him. “She doesn’t—”

“Oh yeah, she does. She’s looked over here a half dozen times just to make sure she has your undivided attention.”

Sure enough, Val had a secret smile on her face as their eyes met.

“Shit. I hate playing games.”

Dorothy slipped her weathered hand through the crook of his elbow and tugged. “There’s a reason why people use the phrase playing for keeps.”

Justin let her drag him over to a blonde woman with perfect white teeth and stood back as Dorothy made the introductions.

“Mindy Lawson, this is Justin Silverton. Why don’t you two sit down and get acquainted? I’ve got to get ready for my big moment.”

Dorothy bustled away and Justin leaned on the back of the chair next to her. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” Mindy said, her eyes traveling over him.

When her gaze met his again, he read the invitation written clearly on her face, and it was for more than just conversation. He sat down anyway, and his knee bumped hers by accident as he tried to get comfortable. When she rubbed her thigh against his, he grimaced inwardly.

“So, what do you do for a living?” she asked.

“I help my dad and brother run our family farm,” he said, watching her whitened smile slip a little.

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