by Codi Gary
Seven?
Fighting the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach, she texted back yes and caught her sister staring at her, “What?”
“I asked if this was something serious.”
Another text. I can’t wait. I’ll pick you up at your place.
It was on the tip of her thumbs to tell him she couldn’t wait either, but she refrained. As much as she liked him, she didn’t want him to think she was imagining a white picket fence and a dog.
She realized her sister was still waiting for an answer. “We’re taking it one day at a time,” Val said, texting him back: Fine.
Val started to unbutton her jacket and said, “The first thing I’m doing is heading off to take a shower.”
Ellie pouted. “At least tell me you got some.”
Val started humming the JaneDear girls’ “Good Girls Gone Bad” as she left the room, finally singing at the top of her lungs as she closed the bathroom door.
“You are a tease,” Ellie yelled through the door, and Val just laughed.
JUSTIN HAD JUST finished unpacking when someone knocked on his front door. Opening it, Justin saw his father standing on the porch, his worn Winchester cap perched over his craggy face.
“Son. Saw you pull up.”
“Hey, Dad, what’s going on?” he asked, letting his father in.
“I just got a rather disturbing phone call from Edward Willis,” his dad said evenly.
“Disturbing how?” Justin asked.
Fred went over to the wet bar and poured a glass of the whiskey Justin kept there. “He said I needed to tell my son to keep his damn hands off his daughter.” Justin sucked in his breath as his dad continued, “Since Everett hasn’t been out with anyone in several months, I immediately thought of you.”
“What did you say?”
His dad tossed back the liquor before he answered. “I told him to go right to hell, but he kindly reminded me that I still owe him money. Let me know he has friends in high places.”
Justin couldn’t believe Edward Willis was so set against him that he would stoop to threatening his family. “That man is a rotten bastard. He showed up this weekend and started yelling at Val, and I just lost it. When I confronted him, though, he called you a thief, and I—”
“I am a thief, son.”
Justin froze and stared at him. “What do you mean?”
Fred sat down on the couch and sighed. “Seventeen years ago, a few months after your mom’s accident, I was in a really bad way, financially and mentally. When Edward Willis showed up, offering to loan me the money I needed to pay my creditors in exchange for a stake in the farm, I took him up on it right away. He was interested in getting into the organic farming business and wanted to be partners.”
Justin was riveted and his dad released a bitter laugh. “I guess he thought I was stupid or so deeply depressed I wouldn’t pay much attention, but I thought it was weird we hadn’t had any insect problems. The crops were growing great, even though the Thompsons’ farm had nearly lost their whole crop of potatoes to a potato beetle infestation. I became suspicious, and one night I heard a car. I headed out to the south field and saw a guy spraying the crops. When I asked Edward about it, he admitted he’d signed a deal with Learner’s Pesticides and was getting a lot of money to spray the crops and claim they’d grown organically.
“But Learner’s was known for using toxic chemicals. Most of the cases of poisoning were with workers, but there were a few customers affected too, and I didn’t want either of you boys around it. Edward informed me that I didn’t have a choice but to go along with it; there was a clause in our business contract that allowed pesticides in extreme cases. I owed Edward too much money and couldn’t pay him back. Besides, he offered me an extra fifty thousand to look the other way, and it was just too tempting to pass up at the time. I was weak.”
“What happened?” Justin asked.
“I couldn’t do it in the end, not in good conscious. We were advertising organic and instead, we were using poisonous pesticides. If anyone ever found out, I would have lost the farm anyway. So one night, during a bad lightning storm, when no one would look too closely, I torched the crop. I had taken out an insurance claim on the crops at the beginning of the season. I used it to pay off my debt to Edward, but there was still the hush money. I didn’t feel right keeping it and have been paying it back slowly, but I still owe twenty thousand.”
“So, what, is he threatening you now or something?” Justin asked.
“Not yet, but it’ll come. It’s only a matter of time.”
Justin crossed his arms and waited for the other shoe to drop. “Why are you here, Dad? You want me to stop seeing Val?”
Fred scoffed. “No, ’course not. You’re a grown-ass man and can do what you want. I just thought I would tell you that this guy’s not going to stop fighting this thing between you two, so make sure she’s worth it.”
For the first time since his dad had walked through the door, Justin smiled. “Yeah, she’s worth it.”
AT A QUARTER to seven, Val was just slipping her shoes on when the doorbell rang. Gus tore down the hall, a barking brown ball of fury.
“I got it!” Ellie yelled as she passed, stopping long enough to peek in and whistle.
“Shut up.” Val laughed, grabbing her wool coat off the back of her footboard.
“Bow chicka wow wow. Should I make myself scarce tonight? You know, so you guys can come back here and—”
Val started toward Ellie, who ran with a yelp. A few seconds later, Val heard Ellie open the door and purr, “Justin Silverton, the knight himself.”
“Hey, Ellie.”
It had only been a few hours since she’d seen him, but his deep voice sent a joyful thrill through her. Stepping out into the hallway, Val rounded the corner, and his eyes immediately locked on her approach. He was clean-shaven, his hair freshly cut and his wide shoulders covered by a black blazer. He smiled at her, raking his eyes over her purple dress and wraparound heels, and she could tell from the way his eyes lit up that he liked the effect.
God knew his appearance was making it hard for her to breathe.
“Whew, did it get hot in here or is it just me?” Ellie’s teasing earned her a glare from Val, who was seriously contemplating removing her sister’s tongue. “Well, if you folks will excuse me, I’m off for the night. Be good, you two.”
Val, still in big-sister mode, yelled, “You better text me.”
Her answer was a little wave as Ellie walked out to her car.
Alone in the entryway, Val started putting on her jacket, only to have Justin step forward and help her. She relaxed and let him, his hands skimming her neck as he fixed her collar.
“Where are we headed?” Val asked quietly, very aware of him hovering behind her.
“I made reservations at the Steakhouse. Guess it’s a good thing we left the meat market early, huh? Otherwise we might have had to drive to Twin Falls.”
“Oh the horror,” she said. When she turned around to face him, she gave him a teasing smile. “I didn’t know you needed reservations at the Steakhouse.”
“Well, it is a Saturday night. You never know how hopping the place might get.”
Val laughed and followed him out the door, pulling it shut behind her. When she turned around, he was right there on the step below, brushing his hand across her cheek.
“You’re beautiful.”
She caught her breath as he kissed her softly, coaxingly, and relaxed, leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “You think you can sweet-talk your way out of buying me dinner?”
“No, but I’m hoping I can talk you into bringing dessert back here,” he said, slipping his arms around her waist and lifting her down.
Letting her hands slide down to his biceps, she squeezed. “Play your cards right, big boy, and I’ll make you dessert.”
“Please tell me that wasn’t sarcasm,” he whispered, kissing her with force this time, his tongue and lips d
emanding a response, and she gave it right back, loving the way he touched her. Forceful or gentle, there was no hesitation or halfway with him.
“We haven’t even made it to the car yet and we’re already passing first base.”
He pulled away with a grin. “We should go. You’re probably freezing.”
She could barely feel her legs and feet, so it was probably a good plan.
She let him take her hand as they made their way down to the truck, walking carefully along the salted sidewalk. He opened the door for her and helped her up, and she fought a smile as his hand drifted under her skirt, grazing the skin of her thighs with his fingertips.
“If you keep that up, we’re going to score a home run before we ever get our steaks.”
With a curse, he removed his hand and shut her door, making her laugh. It had been a long time since a man had wanted her; just her. Not her father’s connections. Not her money.
He climbed up into the truck and she slid over, pulling him to her so she could kiss him, teasing his lips with her tongue.
“Hey, I thought you were hungry.”
Smiling against his mouth, she whispered, “I can wait a minute or two.”
JUSTIN PULLED INTO the restaurant with a smile, running his hand over his mouth. It had been a long time since he’d made out in a truck with a sexy woman, but he had to admit it was still hot as hell.
Turning the truck off, he got out and helped Val down, putting his hands on her waist and letting her slowly slide down his body. The press of her soft breasts against him did nothing to dissipate the desire making him want to lift up her skirt and plunge inside. Deciding they would be a great deal safer around people, he took her hand and led her inside, out of the cold.
They waited by the large wooden podium as a uniformed Jenny Andrews came forward. “Hey, Justin. Two of you?” Her clear blue eyes traveled over Val, as if trying to place her, before widening.
“Hey, Jenny. You know Valerie Willis, right?”
Jenny was the youngest of the Andrews’s four children, seventeen and pretty as a new penny. “I remember you. You used to run around with my sister Thea.”
“Yep, that’s right. I also remember doing your makeup and nails a couple of times.”
“Yes!” Justin caught the obvious hero worship on Jenny’s face. It was pretty clear her memories of Val were good ones that had stuck with her.
“How is Thea? I haven’t seen her since I got back.”
Jenny grabbed some menus as she made a disgusted sound. “Ugh, stuck up and superior.”
Justin caught Val biting her lip, obviously fighting a smile. He’d only been friendly with Carl and barely knew Thea, but considering who her mother was, he could believe she was difficult.
Jenny led them to the back of the Steakhouse, its heavy wooden columns and outdoorsy décor complementing the dim lighting and atmosphere perfectly. She seated them in a booth and handed them their menus.
“Your waitress should be here in a minute. It was really good to see you, Valerie.”
“You too, Jenny.”
Jenny disappeared, and Justin shook his head. “It’s funny how different siblings can be.”
Val smiled, taking a drink of her water as she looked over the menu. “Are their huge differences between your brother and you?”
“Some. He’s a lot funnier than I am,” he said with a straight face. “What about you and your sisters?”
“Besides our obvious physical differences, Caroline is cockier than I am. She never had any fear, no matter what was standing in her way. And Ellie . . . well, she can charm her way out of anything.”
“And you? What’s your superpower?” he asked, only she didn’t get to answer before their waitress came up to the table. Justin ordered the New York steak with a beer and Val ordered the same, well done, with a glass of Merlot. When the waitress left, Justin prodded, “So, you were saying what your superpower is.”
“Oh, I’m a master of sneakiness. I got away with so much more in college than my dad even knows about.”
Justin didn’t like the implication, thinking again about the rumors of her sleeping around on her husband. “Like what?”
“Like I was a bookie for two years, and he thinks I just got caught up in one poker game.”
Is that it? “A little illegal gambling, huh? Anything else?”
She paused with her water glass halfway to her mouth and raised an eyebrow. “If there’s something you want to ask, Justin, I wish you’d just do it.”
“I’m just curious about guys you dated. What other wild stuff you got into.”
“Are you asking if I slept around?”
He watched her expression darken. “No, forget it. You brought up the sneakiness and I wondered about what you’ve been up to the last ten years.”
Her scowl didn’t lessen. Squirming in his seat, he was saved once again by their waitress, who had salads and drinks in hand. She set them down, along with a basket of warm bread, and left them in awkward silence.
They ate for several minutes, neither saying a word, until Val said bluntly, “I never cheated on my ex-husband, if that’s what you were trying to ask.”
He could hear the hurt in her voice and wanted to kick himself. If he’d actually thought she’d do something like that, why had he even pursued her?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t really think—”
“It’s all right. Everyone else assumes I did it, so why shouldn’t you?”
She set down her fork and napkin and stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“To the little girls’ room to powder my nose or something.”
Justin let her go, cursing his stupidity as he waited for her return.
Chapter Seventeen
* * *
VAL THOUGHT ABOUT walking out the door and calling her sister to come get her, but she didn’t really want to leave. Her pride was pricked, but he had a right to ask her if the rumors were true and let her squash the doubts.
Only you brought it up, not him. He was too chicken shit to say anything.
Taking deep breaths, she tried to stop the burning flames of her temper from rising to the surface. For all the intimacy and feeling that lay between them, they didn’t know each other that well. If he really wanted to move forward and give them a chance, if he really wanted no bullshit, then they were going to have to start now. Complete and open honesty.
Val left the bathroom, and the blatant relief on Justin’s face when she sat down made her feel slightly better.
“I thought you might have left.”
“I was tempted, but you had every right to ask. If we’re going to try this whole open, honest, see-how-far-this-will-go thing, you need to know about my past.”
He waited patiently. “I’m all ears.”
“When Cole and I got married, I knew I didn’t love him, but we got along okay and I was trying to please my dad. We were fine together for the first couple of years, but when we had trouble starting a family, things became tense and we started to fight more. I finally went to the doctor, who diagnosed me with PCOS—”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a hormonal imbalance. Anyway, once Cole found out, he wouldn’t get tested himself and blamed everything on me. When I wouldn’t immediately agree to a divorce, he started the rumors that I was unfaithful to force the issue. When he couldn’t prove the rumors in court, he filed under irreconcilable differences. He was going to have to split his entire inheritance, but I didn’t want it. I didn’t want his money, even though when he told me that I didn’t deserve any of it, I wanted to take him for all he was worth out of spite. But honestly, I had Gus, my trust fund intact, and a defamation settlement because of his allegations. Everything worked out and I could start over here. Well, kind of.” Her tone was laced with bitterness as she added, “You aren’t the only one with doubts about my character.”
He reached across the table and said, “I’m sorry, Val. Believe me.”
She squeezed his hand back. “I’ll forgive you this once, but that’s it. Next time you doubt my honor, I’ll horsewhip you.”
“Only if you kiss it better after.”
She took a bite of her salad, shaking her fork at him. “I will use this.”
The waitress came back to take their empty plates and refill their water. It wasn’t until she glanced down at their clasped hands with a smile that Val realized they were still holding them.
Val pulled her hand back, and the waitress gave her a wink. “I’ll be right back with your food.”
Once she was gone, Val said, “She probably thinks we were being all lovey-dovey.”
“When actually you were threatening me with cutlery. Who says romance is dead?”
Val covered her laugh with a cough as the waitress returned with their food.
Val went for her potato first.
“Most people start with their steak,” Justin commented, taking a bite of his.
“Most people didn’t have their father barking orders about no carbs in the house except on rare occasions. I say, screw that and savor them.”
“Agreed.”
By the time they’d finished eating and the waitress came back, asking them if they wanted dessert, Val was too full to think about it. Justin asked for the dessert menu and, after a brief perusal, grinned.
“Can we take an order of that and that to go?” Justin asked, pointing at the menu.
“Absolutely,” the waitress said, rushing off with his credit card.
Val asked, “What did you get?”
His golden eyes twinkled in the dim light as he reached across the table and grabbed her hand, nibbling on her fingers. “You’ll see.”
DESPITE THE ONE hiccup, they’d had a nice time. They pulled in front of her house and Val didn’t see Ellie’s car, although it was only nine-thirty. When she reached for the bag of desserts, Justin slapped her hands away.
“I’ll carry those.”
“You’re so weird.” She laughed, climbing out of the truck with her heart slamming against her breastbone. She didn’t know why having him in for dessert was making her so nervous—it wasn’t like they hadn’t done it before—but this was different. This wasn’t happening a hundred miles away in a hotel room; this was her home, her sanctuary. And once she invited him in, it made everything more personal.