Standing His Ground: Greer (Porter Brothers Trilogy 2)
Life with Greer was like living in a briar patch, and she was tired of being stung.
Eventually, she undressed and got into the shower, luxuriating in the warm water.
She was getting out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her head and drying off, when her bathroom door was flung open.
She didn’t even have time to scream before she was pinned against the open door.
“What are you doing!”
“Don’t worry; you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.” Greer’s hand went to her throat.
Lifting her eyes to his storm-filled ones, she desperately clutched the large towel to her breasts.
“You cry a lot, don’t you?”
Gaping at him, she forgot to feel embarrassed. “What?”
“Your eyes are red. You’ve been crying.”
“What do you care?”
“You’ve got to toughen up, or the world is going to chew you up and spit you out.” Greer’s eyes slipped down to the towel that was covering her breasts; the whole time she had shared the same house with him, he had never shown any sexual interest in her. Now, he was staring her as if he was claiming her.
She pushed him away from her. “What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until I finished my shower?” she snapped.
He moved away from her and into her bedroom. “Just scoping out my new room.” He turned back to face her. “Dustin and I had a talk. By the way, I don’t appreciate you trying to drive a wedge between me and my brother.”
“I wasn’t trying—”
He waved her excuses away. “Doesn’t matter. It didn’t work. Dustin called Mrs. Langley. Her house has been sitting empty since she moved in with Winter and Viper. Her place hasn’t sold yet, and Dustin goes by every day to check on it for her. He asked if you could live there until it sold. Kills two birds with one stone.”
She numbly stared at him as he walked around her bedroom, staking his claim. Disappointment filled her, he hadn’t been staking his claim on her body; he had been staking his claim on his new bedroom.
“All you have to do now is pack today, and Dustin and Logan can drop you off tomorrow afternoon. You need any help?”
She was standing in front of him, almost naked and vulnerable, and he couldn’t care less that he was trashing her life.
“No, I don’t need your help. I’d like to get dressed. Please go.”
“No problem. I’d figured you’d show at least a little gratitude. Hell, you get to live rent-free until that big-ass house gets sold.”
“I’ll make sure to thank Dustin when he gets back from fishing.”
“You just can’t please some women,” he said testily.
“I thought you were going fishing?” She went to the door of her bedroom, curling her hand around the doorknob.
“I am. Just waiting for Sutton to get here so you won’t be by yourself.”
Holly couldn’t understand why someone had to stay with her today. After tomorrow, she would be by herself when she moved into Mrs. Langley’s house. She had been happy for the older woman when she moved in with her niece, having no clue the Porters would use it as an opportunity to get rid of Holly a few months later.
“Have Logan and Dustin already left?”
“Yeah.”
“Could you do me a favor before you leave?”
Magnanimously, he paused.
“Go fuck yourself.”
11
Sharpshooter: I’m going fishing with my nephew. I wish you could be here.
Sharpshooter: You like fishing?
Sharpshooter: Hey, if you don’t like it, we can talk about something else.
Sharpshooter: Want to talk about movies? How about trucks? I like trucks. Have I told you that before? We can talk about what you like to do on a Sunday afternoon. I like fishing and hunting.
Sharpshooter: You ever been hunting?
Sharpshooter: It’s hard to carry on a conversation when you don’t answer. Did I say something? I’m worried about you. Please answer.
Sharpshooter: I’ll be up all night if you don’t answer. If you don’t want to talk to me anymore, just tell me so. At least I’ll know you’re okay.
Kentuckygirl: I don’t want to talk to you anymore.
Sharpshooter: Why not?
Sharpshooter: I’m going to keep messaging you until you answer.
Kentuckygirl: What do you not get? I don’t want to talk to you anymore.
Sharpshooter: Why?
Sharpshooter: Why?
Sharpshooter: Why?
Sharpshooter: Why?
Sharpshooter: Why?
Kentuckygirl: OMG. Quit bothering me!
Sharpshooter: Answer my question, and I will.
Kentuckygirl: I don’t think we have anything in common. I hate fishing and hunting.
Sharpshooter: That’s it?
Kentuckygirl: Yes, that and you don’t like merry-go-rounds.
Sharpshooter: The last time I talked to you, you sounded like you were thinking about giving us a chance.
Kentuckygirl: I changed my mind.
Sharpshooter: Why?
Kentuckygirl: I’m searching for a different type of man. One who likes merry-go-rounds and who doesn’t like fishing and hunting.
Sharpshooter: So, if you don’t want a man who hunts and fishes, what do you want in a man?
Kentuckygirl: I want one who would do anything in the world for me, one who is kind and caring. A man who, when he sees a pretty flower, he’ll think about me. One who, when I’m upset or scared, I’ll know he’ll take care of it.