Standing His Ground: Greer (Porter Brothers Trilogy 2)

Holly was so intent on what she was doing that she didn’t notice Rachel going back inside the barn and grabbing another axe. It was when she heard another whack of an axe hitting wood that she looked up to see Rachel destroying her own board. Tears were running down her face. Holly glanced away a lump in her throat, seeing the inconsolable grief she was taking out the sturdy barn. She gave Rachel her privacy, working side by side in silence until Rachel turned toward her, the grief was still there but a flicker of her former flame was returning to her spirit.

“This feels good!” Rachel grinned over at her.

“Yes, it does,” Holly agreed, going back to work.

“You drunken coward!” Rachel vented her own anger. “I wish you were alive, too, so I could get Cash to beat the hell out of you with his brass knuckles.”

Holly looked over at her with interest. “Cash has brass knuckles?”

Rachel laughed. “Yes. And he looks hot when he wears them.”

Holly swung her axe again. “How hot? Like an eight or nine hot, or a ten hot?”

“A ten.” Rachel swung her axe.

“That’s hot. Greer is a ten when he kisses me, but he slips to a seven when he doesn’t put the toilet lid back down.”

“That used to piss me off when I lived here, too.”

Holly set the head of the axe down on the ground, leaning on the handle to take a rest, staring at Rachel dismally. “Greer hasn’t made love to me since before we were married. Do you think he doesn’t want me anymore because I have one breast bigger than the other now?”

Rachel dropped her axe, taking a rest to study her breasts. “How are they …?”

“When Lindy shot me. My left breast is smaller than my right one now.”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed on her left breast. “How much?”

Holly raised her pinky up, using her other finger to show that it was the tip.

Rachel shook her head. “Nah, I bet he won’t even notice.”

“I do,” Holly admitted.

“Then to hell with Greer. You’re a beautiful woman. If Greer is angry about a little bit of skin, then to hell with him.”

“Yeah! Then to hell with Greer.” Both women began chopping down the barn.

“Cash and I haven’t made love since I lost the baby!” Rachel yelled out.

“Why not?” Holly took the board that she had been working, throwing it onto the growing pile.

“I don’t know. At first, I wasn’t in the mood.”

Holly gave her an astounded look. “Girl, he gets me in the mood, and I’m in love with my husband.”

Rachel gave a giggle that sounded more like a sob. “He is handsome, isn’t he?”

“He’s a ten, for sure.”

“I think so, too. Do you think he blames me for losing our baby?” Rachel held her axe handle against her shoulder.

“No, I don’t think he blames anyone but Brett and Lindy,” Holly answered honestly.

“I blame myself.”

The two women stared at each other before Holly went to give her a hug. “You wouldn’t be the best mother in the whole world I know you are if you didn’t.”

Rachel laid her head on her shoulder. “You really think I’m the best mother in the whole world?”

“Yes, I do. I admire that you have breastfed as long as you have. When me and Greer have children, they’re getting a bottle.”

“You say that now, but wait until you have a baby.”

“Can you imagine how big these breasts would get if I breastfed?” Holly poked a finger into her chest.

“Some men find it sexually attractive.” Rachel blushed bright red.

“Really?”

Rachel nodded, her eyes staring meaningfully into hers.

“Fucking hell.” Holly went back to her side of the barn, giving a board a particularly hard whack. “If Greer ever gets his ass off the fence, maybe I’ll find out.”

32

Greer pushed the button on the dishwasher, still unsure how he had gotten stuck doing the dishes. So far, the benefits of his marriage were sucking dirt.

Holly and Rachel were still outside, and Logan was sitting in the living room. He grabbed himself a beer. Then, seeing the men sitting around the table, eyeing him, he brought enough over for them all.

“You all could have reminded me to get the dessert plates before I started the dishwasher,” he complained.

“I’ll do them.” Sutton started to gather the dessert dishes, but he waved her to sit back down.

“I’ll do them later. It’s not like I have anything better to do,” he groused.

His brothers and brother-in-law stared at him.

Cash moved the dessert plate away from Ema’s grasping hand. “Matrimony not what you expected?”

“I knew what type of woman I was getting when I married Holly. I just expected more of her.”

Greer ignored Sutton’s incensed glare.

“I bet you’re getting more than I am.” His brother-in-law showed his own unhappiness.

“I think I’m going to go outside to join the other women before I have to listen to any more of you men’s bellyaching.” Sutton went to the window, looking outside.