Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

“Yes.”

Jessie tore her eyes away from the famous singer who was in the Porter’s front yard at Greer’s hoarse voice.

A woman getting out of an SUV was another face she recognized.

“Genny!” Jessie started to run down the steps when Genny waved at her, but the look on Greer’s poignant expression stopped her. He seemed to be holding his breath as he stared at the men who were taking off their motorcycle helmets.

She recognized several of The Last Riders being in their midst, but there were several she had never seen before. One man caught her eye for no particular reason, other than he was drop-dead gorgeous.

Getting off the bike, he laid his helmet on the seat as his eyes meet Greer’s. The man was striking as he walked across the gravel driveway as the others held back, all of them watching the biker who had pinned Greer in his place on the porch with his gaze.

He stopped before coming up the steps, and Jessie watched as Greer looked at him from head to toe before meeting his eyes again.

“Hey, Cole.”

“Hey, Greer.”

Greer took a step down, then two, and when he went down the last step, Cole held his hand out to shake. Greer didn’t take his hand, searching Cole’s eyes instead.

Cole gave a mocking smile, raising a brow. “Afraid?”

“No,” Greer said, adjusting the toolbelt at his hips. “Just wondering what you’re doing here.”

Cole looked at everyone on the porch before returning his eyes to Greer. “We couldn’t make it in time for the barn raising ceremony, but we heard through the grapevine that your brother’s building a house. We’re in town for a couple of weeks, and I’d like to lend a hand or”—Cole nodded at the crowd that was drawing closer to listen—“two to get the job done.”

“No thanks. We got it taken care of.”

Shocked, Jessie couldn’t believe Greer was refusing free help. He never refused free anything.

Dustin shook his head at her when she was about to speak up.

The stranger didn’t miss the exchange.

“It’s not an exchange of favors, and it’s not payment. It’s a gift from me to Dustin.” Cole reached out, touching a streak of Greer’s white hair. “From one brother to another brother.” Cole dropped his hand from Greer’s hair to hold it out again for him to shake.

Greer gave him a sly smile. “Now, that’s a gift I can accept.” Greer reached out, taking his hand. “Welcome home, brah.”

Cole threw his head back, laughing.

Jessie smiled as she watched them man-hug each other, hitting each other on the shoulders as if they were long-lost brothers.

Greer still had his hands on Cole, staring at him like a proud papa, when Jessie saw Penni cautiously come to stand beside them.

Greer reached out, snagging her in bear hug when she got close before letting her go.

“I did good, didn’t I?” he bragged, nodding his head at Cole.

Penni shook her head, wiping her tears away. “No, Greer, you did great.”

Jessie sat on the floor at Dustin’s feet, watching Logan and Ema tear their Christmas presents open as Rosie tried to mow them down with the plastic shopping cart that she and Dustin had given her.

Jessie laughed. The little girl would fall every four steps.

“Is there any stack cake left?” Greer asked, patting his stomach. “I might have enough room left for a piece or two.”

Holly threw a piece of wrapping paper at him. “How? You already ate half of it.”

“Does that mean that half is left?”

Jessie shook her head. “No, Tate and Dustin finished the other half.”

“What did I teach you about not taking the last piece?”

“Eat it before you can find it?”

Jessie smiled at Dustin teasing his brother as he played with his hair.

“That’s not what I taught you.”

“No, it’s the one we learned the hard way,” Dustin said mockingly as he helped Ema stand up when she tried to climb onto the couch next to Dustin.

“Jessie, how much longer before you can move into the new house?”

Jessie grinned when she saw Sutton using her belly as a table as she ate the last piece of cake. “Shade and Cole are finishing the painting in the kitchen tomorrow, and the granite Holly picked out is being installed the day after.”

Sutton shifted herself more comfortably on the couch, holding her plate steady. “You never did tell us why you decided to share the house with Holly and Greer.”

She blushed self-consciously when everyone waited for her answer.

Jessie curled her hand possessively over Dustin’s knee as she tried to explain what had changed her mind, her loving gaze going to Logan, who was pulling more presents out from under the tree.

“Because when I married Dustin, I didn’t just marry him, I married his family.” What she couldn’t say aloud was that she wanted Logan to love her as much as he loved Holly, and the only way she was going to accomplish that was to have Holly as accessible to him as she was. If she could share a son with Holly, she could share a home. “Besides, when Dustin or Greer get on my nerves, I can always spend time with my brothers.”