Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

“Dustin was willing to face death on his own, but God took it out of his hands and has given us the precious time to spend with him, so that the last week he spends on earth can be spent with us. We can be there with him so he doesn’t have to be alone. When death comes, we will all be there with him. We cannot show less courage together than Dustin showed when he was willing to do it alone.”

When Knox released Greer, Jessie shook when Greer turned around, his expression so grief-stricken she didn’t know what to expect. Bracing herself for Greer’s cutting remarks, she straightened her shoulders, determined to show him she could handle whatever he dished out. She understood the grief he was feeling at having to lose Dustin. She loved him, too.

“When you get in that knucklehead’s room ….” Greer gruffly started over. “When you get in my brother’s room, tell him …” Greer met her eyes, showing the million and one things that remained unspoken between Greer and Dustin, but Jessie could see the words as clearly as if they were written on a page. “Tell him I love him, and that I swear on Ma’s headstone that I won’t touch him. Can you tell him that for me?”

“I’ll tell him. Word for word,” she said softly.

“Miss Hayes, you can see Dustin now.”

Jessie nodded at the nurse, then started to go around Greer. Pausing, she reached out and hugged him. His arms went around her, hugging her back.

When they released each other, she went to the door that the nurse was holding open, but Greer stopped her before she could go through.

“Jessie, I forgot to add something else for you to tell him. Tell him that if he dies without letting me see him, I plan to die an old man. But when I do eventually bite the dust, I’m going to kick his ass every day for eternity and twice on Sundays. And make damn sure you repeat that word for word, because it’s going to be the God’s honest truth.”

34

Jessie stared down at Dustin’s limp hand in hers. It was the second time she had been allowed inside his room to see him, and both times he had been sleeping.

His family was still in the waiting room, taking turns to switch with each other. Each time the person that was in Dustin’s room returned to the waiting room, hope shone in their eyes that Dustin had been awake and able to talk to them. Bit by bit, that hope was slowly dying within their eyes, though, bleakness and despair enveloping them, sinking them into a bottomless well. They would look for the person coming from Dustin’s room to throw them a rope to cling to.

“Jessie, your visiting time is over.”

Jessie lifted Dustin’s hand to her mouth, brushing her lips over his knuckles.

“I’ll be back when it’s my turn. I love you, funny face.” She nearly broke down in tears. “If you don’t wake up soon, I’m going to play that song until you do. If you need to sleep a little bit longer, that’s okay. We’ll be here waiting for you. We’ll all be here waiting.”

Leaving the room, she dreaded going back into the waiting area.

As she pushed the door open, expectant faces looked toward her.

“I’m sorry. He’s still not awake.”

They wearily sank back in their chairs.

When Sutton rose to go to Dustin’s room, Jessie realized Tate was no longer there.

“Where did Tate go?” she asked Sutton as she passed her.

“He went to Dustin’s office. He should be back any minute.”

Jessie nodded, taking a seat next to Holly. The woman was exhausted, her head lying on Greer’s shoulder. Rachel and Cash sat in two other chairs that were alongside the one she had taken.

Jessie stared at the clock above the coffeepot. “It’s almost morning.”

“Tate is going to go by the diner and bring some food before coming back,” Holly told her, raising her head from Greer’s shoulder.

“No, he’s not,” Knox contradicted her. Standing to stretch, he went to the coffeepot to pour himself a cup. “Lucky texted him, saying he and Willa wanted to bring breakfast.”

“Oh … I forgot.” Holly ran a shaking hand across her temple.

“Woman, you need to lay that fancy recliner out and get some sleep. Knox, get her a blanket.”

Knox raised a brow at Greer. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to fall for that?”

Greer looked like he was debating telling the truth.

Knox gave him a glare as he returned to the chair next to the door.

“I’ll go get one,” Jessie offered. Going through the door that led into ICU, she asked one of the nurses sitting behind the desk if she could have a couple of pillows and blankets. Rachel looked just as tired as Holly.

When the helpful nurse gave them to her, she returned to the waiting room, seeing that Tate was back. He was holding a metal box and talking when she walked inside, but he broke off when he saw her.