“She caught him?” Greer had asked.
Their father had nodded, not trying to hide the triumph in his voice. “Kind of hard not to when he knocked up the town whore. Took me a year to talk her into going out with me, then another six months to get her in my bed.”
“Ew,” Dustin had groaned, covering his hands with his ears.
“Son, you won’t be thinking that in a few years when a pretty girl walks by you, sashaying a pretty ass in front of you.”
Tate and Greer had both laughed as their father had shot them a know-it-all grin.
“I wouldn’t laugh too hard if I were you two, either. I’m gonna give you the same warning my pa gave me: once a woman catches a Porter man’s heart, she never lets it go. My pa and each man before him only loved one woman.”
“Not in this day and time,” Tate had snickered.
He had shaken his head. “Porter men are different.”
“You really believe that?” Tate had asked in disbelief.
“I know that,” he had said in conviction. “I wouldn’t want to live without your ma.”
Tate had a feeling of forboding and quickly changed the subject. “Maybe it will skip our generation.”
“I hope not. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on what me and your ma have.”
“Didn’t Cash’s dad try to get her back?”
A familiar look that had always scared them shitless had come over his face, the same one that had been on his face when he had caught someone snooping around their property.
“He tried, hard.”
“What did you do?” Dustin had asked the question they all had wanted answered.
“I followed the rules my father gave me and the same one I keep telling you. A Porter always stands his ground. Don’t leave an enemy standing, and always keep what’s yours.”
All of them had stared at their father in awe.
“Don’t forget them rules,” he had ordered.
“We won’t.” Each of them had given their promise to their father.
“When I’m dead and gone, live and breathe them. Mark my words, no man or woman will stand a chance against you.”
Chapter 7
“Dammit.” Sutton stretched her aching back as she carried another box to place with the others the town church was picking up for their store. There wasn’t much left of Pap’s life, but she couldn’t bear to trash what there was. Maybe the items could find a new home with someone who would benefit from them.
She decided to finish the rest in the morning. Going to the kitchen, which she had spent the majority of the morning cleaning, she poured herself a glass of iced tea. Not hungry, she carried it outside and stood on the porch, enjoying the cool breeze and fresh air. At least the small house no longer smelled musty.
Sutton listened as the wind rustled the tree limbs. When she was younger, the sound would have frightened her. Now it only made her search the shadows of the woods, unafraid.
The years since then had taught her it wasn’t the things you couldn’t see, but the evil lurking right in front of your eyes that was the more deadly. To fear danger, you had to be afraid of dying, and Sutton wasn’t afraid of dying. She had courted it at one time until the medication that had been forced on her had given her mind a chance to heal. She realized then; if she was going to be forced to live this life, she was going to make it worthwhile.
Looking down at her watch, she went in to shower, dressing in a comfortable blue dress that fell just above her knees. She brushed out her hair then slid on her shoes before grabbing her purse and going outside. She didn’t have to look at the directions Cash had sent her. She had looked at them several times already.
She was nervous, not wanting to cause any conflict between the husband and wife. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she turned down the road toward their house. There weren’t any other houses down the dark road that practically ended at their front door.
Not giving herself time to change her mind, she got out of the car, picking up the gift she had brought, not wanting to take the chance she would forget it at the last minute.
At the door, Cash opened it before she could knock.
“Hi, Sutton.”
“Cash.” She returned his greeting, looking past him in search of Rachel.
“She’s in the kitchen,” Cash answered, giving her a gentle smile.
Sutton entered the cozy home, handing the bottle of wine to Cash.
“It needs to be chilled.”
“I’ll take care of it. Take a seat.”
Sutton sat down on the dark brown leather couch, perching on the end of the cushion.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“An iced tea, if you have it.”
“Be right back.” Cash disappeared as she stared around the home, taking in the pictures of Rachel and Cash that were sitting on the small end table next to the couch. The couple was obviously very much in love, and Sutton was happy for both of them.