Page 28 of Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon, Idaho 3)

Chapter Seven

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“OH, YOU HAVE to go. Please go!”

Justin sat across from Jared in Jensen’s Diner and shook his head as Jared choked with laughter. Who knew the loss of Brad Paisley tickets would be the cause of so much mirth? Or maybe it was the matchmaking weekend that had tickled Jared’s funny bone.

Justin glared at him as he popped a fry into his mouth, chewing grimly. “No.”

“Why not? Maybe you’ll finally meet someone so Steph can stop worrying about you.”

Justin sighed loudly. It was true Steph’s matchmaking attempts had increased over the last year to almost desperate leaps, but that wasn’t his fault. He was fine being on his own right now, and besides, there was only one woman in all of Rock Canyon he wanted to get closer to, and she wasn’t even on Steph’s radar.

“Why not just tell your wife to mind her own business?”

Jared looked appalled. “Because I like my skin on my back and our couch is hard as a rock.”

Justin laughed, knowing his friend was probably right. Steph didn’t like to be told when she was wrong.

“Well, hey there, Justin.”

Justin looked up to find Ellie Willis standing over him, a wide smile spread across her pretty face. “Hey there, Ellie. This is my friend, Jared.”

Jared stuck out his hand and Ellie took it, although she barely glanced at him. “I just wanted to thank you again for the other night. I wasn’t at my best.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said, trying to resist the urge to look behind her for her sister.

“So, what were you two talking about? It sounded interesting.” Ellie leaned her hip against the side of the booth.

Ignoring Justin’s warning look, Jared answered, “Justin won an all-expenses-paid weekend trip to a huge singles mixer.”

Ellie’s eyes widened. “The one in True Love, Nevada?”

It was Justin’s turn to be surprised. “You’ve heard of it?”

The smile Ellie flashed him was pure cat with the cream. “Oh, yeah. You know, my sister’s going to that. She wasn’t going to, but from the phone call I just got from her, I guess she is now.”

“Seriously?” Justin felt the air leave his lungs. “Why? I thought she wasn’t dating.”

Both Jared and Ellie watched him with interest, and he felt his neck flush with warmth.

“She’s doing it as a favor to my dad, although if you ask me, she needs to get out and meet someone,” Ellie said, leaning over the table and lowering her voice. “Maybe someone who’s totally into her? Maybe a good guy who would never break her heart, because if he did, he might end up on a missing persons list?”

He took the truck-sized hint she was throwing at him and grinned. “Guess a guy like that should get home and pack, then.”

With a toss of her head, she stood up straight. “He probably should.”

Jared watched her walk away as Justin shoved a couple more fries into his mouth and pulled out his wallet.

“All I gotta say is, if I weren’t married . . . whoa, where are you running off to?” Jared asked as Justin stood up.

“Going home and getting ready for the trip, man.”

Jared’s expression was puzzled at first, and then clarity hit. “You’re into Valerie Willis?”

“Might be,” Justin said, shrugging into his jacket.

“Dude, I don’t know, man. I haven’t heard good things about her,” Jared said, looking uncomfortable.