Standing His Ground: Greer (Porter Brothers Trilogy 2)

17

Greer pushed the lever down on the toaster, ignoring Holly’s coffee cup hitting the counter.

“You just ate two pieces of toast.” She swept a swath of hair behind her ear nervously.

“What does it matter if I make some more? You have half a loaf left.” Greer ignored her harassed look, going to the refrigerator for the jelly.

“You know why. I want you to leave before Dustin and Logan get here. They’ll be here any minute.”

“Then you’re shit out of luck if you want me to be quiet about me spending the night with you. I texted Dustin last night when you went to sleep, telling him that I stayed here last night.” Getting a butter knife out of a drawer, he scraped a large dollop of jelly onto the toast as he saw the fiery red blush stain her cheeks.

“Tell me you didn’t.”

He leaned back against the counter, taking a bite of his toast. “Why not? I don’t have anything to hide.”

Her blush deepened at the hidden meaning behind his words. “You said you wouldn’t tell them if I agreed to marry you.”

“I agreed not to tell them that you’re Kentuckygirl, not that I was fucking you.”

Frustrated, Holly sat down on one of the chairs at the kitchen counter, while he continued eating his toast.

“You thought we were going to sneak around? Monday, we’re going to buy a ring. And we’re going to get married as soon as I can arrange it.”

She started shaking her head. “Engagements usually last a year.”

Greer finished his toast, dropping the knife into the sink. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. We’re getting hitched by the end of the month.”

“That’s just a couple of weeks away!”

“Now you’re getting my message.” He folded his arms across his chest, refusing to change his mind at her horrified expression. “Are you ashamed of me?”

“No! It’s not that. It’s just … Don’t you think that they’ll think it’s strange that one minute you’re talking about marrying other women, and then you spent the night with me?”

Greer raised a brow at her. “Since when do I give a fuck about what anyone thinks?”

“Six months is the soonest—” Her eyes widened at the sound of the doorbell. She practically leaped out of her stool. “Button up your shirt!” she snapped, going toward the hallway that led to the front door.

“Lord have mercy, woman. You’re acting like my kin ain’t never seen my chest before,” he snapped back as he followed her.

She spun around, barreling into his chest. “Who else is at that door beside Dustin and Logan?”

“Tate, Sutton, Cash, and Ra—”

“Your whole family is out there?”

“Yeah.”

She started to change directions, trying to go around him so she could escape to her room. Greer grabbed her around the waist, turning her back toward the door.

“Go.”

She reluctantly went to answer the door. When she hesitated, though, he reached around her and opened it.

Logan came running in, hugging Holly as if he hadn’t seen her the night before. “Why don’t you have your swimsuit on? You didn’t forget you promised me we could swim, did you?”

“I didn’t forget. I just didn’t expect everyone to get here so early.”

Rachel came in, giving her a quick hug. “It’s my fault, I’m afraid. Sorry. Greer said we have two weeks to plan your wedding, so we need to get started.”

Greer moved away from her reach as all his family started congratulating her.

“Who all did you text last night?” she snapped as Dustin hugged her then moved away so that Sutton could take her turn.

Greer grinned, reaching down to lift Logan into his arms. “Your dad tell you Holly’s talked me into marry her?”

Logan nodded, putting his hand on his shoulder to keep his balance. “She ain’t going to make me a ring bearer, is she? Johnny said his mom made him. He said everyone pinched his cheeks and told him how cute he looked.”

“Boy, you think I’d let her embarrass you like that?” When he saw Logan’s relief, he decided to tease him. “I told her that we didn’t want anyone there but me and her.”

When his face drooped with disappointment, Greer carried him toward the sliding glass door. Opening it, he went to the pool and held him over it, pretending to drop him.

Giggling, his nephew tried holding on to his arms to keep from falling into the water.

“I thought you wanted to go swimming?”

“It’s the deep end!”

Greer saw Holly storming toward him.

“Woman, chill out!” Setting Logan down on the pool deck, he said, “I was just play—”

One second, he was placating his fiancée, and the next, he was spitting out water.

“Wo—”

“Quit calling me woman! You know my name, use it!” she snarled down at him. “And we’re waiting six months before we’re getting married.” Taking Logan’s hand, she stalked back into the house, leaving his relatives gaping behind her.