Standing His Ground: Greer (Porter Brothers Trilogy 2)

Holly followed behind them, walking next to Rachel and Cash as he carried Ema in his arms. As crowded as the carnival was, the people moved out of his way.

“If that were me, I would be trampled.” Rachel moved to the side to keep from being knocked over by a heavyset man texting instead of watching where he was going.

“I know. I wish I had worn boots instead of sandals.” Holly winced when she didn’t get out of the way of a group of teenage boys who were catcalling two pretty girls.

The tilt-a-whirl had a long line. As they got in line, she stepped off to the side.

“I can hold Ema if you and Cash want to ride?”

“You don’t want to ride?”

“No.”

“I want you to ride with me, Holly!” Logan yelled down at her from Greer’s shoulders.

“I’ll ride with you on the next ride.”

“There’s room for all three of us.” Greer bounced Logan on his shoulders, making the little boy laugh. He didn’t even complain when Logan used Greer’s hair to hold his balance.

“I can’t ride it, anyway,” Rachel told her with a mischievous smile.

“Why not?” Holly’s eyes widened when she saw Cash couldn’t hide his gloating smile.

“You’re pregnant?”

Rachel nodded.

All her brothers turned to give Cash hostile glares, which he ignored.

“Don’t blame me. She seduced me.”

“If you weren’t holding my baby, I’d punch you,” Rachel threatened.

“You’d hurt your baby’s daddy?”

“No, but the next time you try to talk me into a late-night swim, you’ll go alone.”

Holly hugged Rachel, congratulating her and wondering about the sad expression on Greer’s face. When he saw her looking at him, he started talking to Dustin. Was he that unhappy that Rachel was going to have another baby so close to Ema? Rachel was close to her brothers, but Holly didn’t think that was what brought melancholy into his eyes.

It was a side of him she wasn’t familiar with, just as when he had offered to go with her to the funeral home to see Mitch before his friend had taken Mitch’s body back to Frankfort where he lived.

Mitch’s friend had remained in the funeral director’s office while she had paid her respects to the man she had tried to love and couldn’t. When she had tried to offer him money to cover the costs, Brett had refused, saying he had already taken care of it. His sympathetic condolences had her rushing outside of the funeral home, unable to stand the burden of her guilt.

After driving her home, Greer had solicitously made her a cup of tea and had given her the space she needed to come to terms with the fallout of how not responding to Mitch’s letters had ended his life.

Greer lifted Logan down, taking his hand to go up the stairs to the ride, drawing her out of her own melancholy thoughts.

Logan’s other hand came out toward her. Taking his hand, she followed Greer up to the waiting red cars.

Greer raised the bar. “You go first. Logan can ride between us. That way, he won’t get knocked around.”

She slid in, giving them room, and then the attendant came over to make sure the bar was locked.

“Can I ride the roller coaster next?”

“What did Holly tell you?”

Greer never tried to back her up where Logan was concerned.

“How about we get some hot dogs when we get off?” Holly suggested.

That had his frown disappearing.

She gripped the handle as the car started moving in a slow circle, while Greer waved as they passed Dustin, who was recording them on his phone. She had never seen Greer so carefree as their car twirled around the platform.

She kept sliding across the slick seat into Logan, despite how hard she held on to the handle. Greer put his arm across the back of the seat, using his hand to hold her in place. Holly could count on one hand the number of times Greer had ever voluntarily touched her. That it all had happened in the span of the same month gave lift to her spirit that they could start to get along better.

Logan wasn’t the only one disappointed when the ride ended too soon. She almost gave in when he wanted to ride it again.

“Wait until we eat and let your stomach settle. I don’t want you to get another bellyache like you got last week.” Greer lifted the handle for them to get out, placing a hand on the car to keep it from spinning.

Everyone agreed to the hot dogs, and Tate found them a picnic table to sit at as he and Dustin went to get the food.

“I saw Jo at the diner when I met Tate for lunch today. She actually smiled at me when I said hi. Whatever you’re saying to her, keep doing it. I’m going to ask her out Sunday after church,” Greer said to Rachel.