Page 35 of Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon, Idaho 3)

Don’t move her. She might have injured her spine.

Reaching in his back pocket, he realized he’d left his cell phone in the hotel room. He didn’t see Val’s purse anywhere, and her pockets yielded nothing but her hotel key and some lip gloss.

“Hang on, Val, I’m going to get some help,” he said, jumping up and running the rest of the way toward the community center.

When he got there, he saw a couple on the stoop, smoking, and asked, “Can you call an ambulance?”

The woman’s eyes almost took up her face, they were so wide, as she stared at his bloody hand.

“I don’t have my cell on me,” the guy said apologetically.

Cursing, Justin rushed into the large, crowded room. Normally cool in stressful situations, he surprised himself and everyone within a fifty-foot radius when he yelled, “Will someone call a fucking ambulance?”

Hundreds of eyes turned his way, but no one reached into their pockets for their phones.

“What’s all this yelling and cursing about? Who needs an ambulance, boy?”

The crotchety voice belonged to a silver-haired old woman who had pushed through the crowd with her hands on her wide hips.

“My friend slipped in the alleyway and hit her head. She has a skull laceration and bleeding. I didn’t want to move her in case—”

“You all heard the man. Call an ambulance!” The old woman’s voice was chock-full of authority, and suddenly, everyone had their phones out, dialing frantically.

“Can I help?” A dark-haired man stepped out of the crowd.

“Only if you’re a doctor,” she said, and when he nodded, she turned to Justin and grabbed his arm. “Take us to her.”

After helping the older woman down the stairs, he led them to where Val was, but the elderly woman kept a hold of his arm so he couldn’t rush, and frustration consumed him. He wanted to get back to Val.

“She’s just up there,” he told the doctor, who jogged ahead.

“Easy, son. I know she’s a friend of yours, but you won’t do her any good by panicking or getting in the way.”

He nodded, but as they came around the corner, his heart skipped. He had hoped Val would be sitting up and groaning, but instead, she was still lying there, and he was terrified by how pale she was.

“What’s her name?” the doctor asked. He was kneeling next to Val, holding her wrist in his hand, presumably to check her heartbeat.

“Valerie,” Justin said.

“What happened?” This question was directed at him from the woman, who was eyeing him with interest.

“We took a shortcut through the alley and she slipped on the ice. She landed on her back and cracked her head.” Justin couldn’t stand the shaky quality to his voice. There was no reason for him to be so emotional over someone he hardly knew, no matter how intimate they’d been.

“Hmmm . . . Doctor?” the old woman prodded. “What do you think?”

“I think that she should go to the hospital and get a CAT scan. I don’t like that she’s still unconscious.”

Suddenly, Val moved, groaning. Justin sighed with relief and called, “Val!” just as the doctor said, “Valerie?”

Justin saw Valerie’s eyes flutter and a dazed smile formed on her lips. “My hero.”

Justin felt an involuntary slash of outrage when he realized she wasn’t talking to him.

“Hey there, Valerie. My name is Dr. Lockwood, but you can call me Trent. Can you tell me what your pain level is?”

Justin heard sirens and missed her answer, which had the old woman and doctor laughing. “What did she say?”

“That her pain level is ‘fuck,’” Trent answered, smiling down at Val before nodding at the old woman. “Pardon, ma’am.”