Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)
“Chestnut? You might be right.” Kailor looked up from the mess she was cleaning to Bliss. “I wish he would ask me out. Can’t you hook a friend up?”
“I tried, but Dustin said he’s not interested in dating anyone seriously right now.”
“I would be fine with a flyby,” Kailor said, wiggling her eyebrows so the children couldn’t get her meaning.
“Then you should stop buying stuff for your hope chest and telling everyone in town why you’re buying it,” Bliss countered.
“That crystal punch bowl and cups was 75 percent off. If Lena hadn’t been the saleswoman, no one would have known. She’s the biggest gossip in town,” Kailor sputtered out.
“You didn’t have to fill her in on what you wanted it for.”
“I couldn’t help it. It was beautiful. I would have never been able to buy it unless it was on sale.”
“Lena is the biggest gossip in town.” Bliss rolled her eyes at the younger woman.
Jessie had to silently agree with Bliss. Lena was the biggest gossip, and not just in their town but the world. She couldn’t stand the woman, who was a member of their church. She had done nothing but gossip about why Angus had left town when their church deacon decided to move away. The whole congregation had been shocked when Angus left to go to Bangladesh. Lena told everyone who would listen that Angus had been falling in love over the internet and had taken off to be with her.
Jessie couldn’t understand how Lena had twisted the truth in her mind when Angus told the entire congregation that he was going to work with a Christian organization.
“That’s probably why Angus wanted to move to Bangladesh—so he wouldn’t have to listen to Lena gossiping every Wednesday and Sunday,” Kailor joked.
“I’d move there, too, if I lived next door to her,” Bliss said, picking a book to read to the children, who were now all gathered in the reading area.
Jessie smiled toward the doorway as it opened and Holly came in carrying her daughter. “Hi, Holly. How are you doing today?”
“Good. You?”
“I couldn’t be better … unless I were sitting on a beach drinking a Mai Tai.”
Holly laughed as she handed Rosie and her diaper bag over.
Jessie held both with ease. She had opened the daycare when she turned eighteen, so having a child in her arms was now second nature to her.
“Me and you both. I haven’t had a drink since I became pregnant with Rosie.”
“I’m amazed. I don’t know how you do it. A teething baby and married to Greer would have me drinking a bottle of wine at least once a week.”
“I’m afraid to. I’m afraid I’d bash it against Greer’s thick skull. He still texting you every five minutes?”
“He’s gotten better. He took it down to every twenty minutes when I threatened to spray paint his truck.”
“Sometimes I think he loves that truck more than me.”
“Don’t. He loves you and Rosie more. But he definitely loves it more than Tate and Dustin.”
“I’m just glad that truck isn’t gold-plated, or he would have married it instead of me.” Grinning, Holly gave her daughter a parting kiss before leaving to go to work.
Jessie was still laughing as she carried Rosie to the baby room. The woman sitting in the rocking chair in the secluded infant room stood, placing the sleeping infant she was holding in a crib before taking Rosie from Jessie’s arms.
“Rain, make sure you keep Rosie’s teething rings chilled. We don’t need another fallout like yesterday.” Jessie laid the baby’s diaper bag on the cabinet next to the small fridge that kept the baby’s milk and food cold so that Rain wouldn’t have to leave the infant room. It kept the germs from the children to a minimum and within her sight at all times.
“She may have inherited her mother’s looks, but her temper is pure Greer.” Rain grinned as she tickled Rosie until the baby’s fussy frown disappeared and her lips parted in a giggle, showing the beginning of a lone tooth.
“He’s definitely one of the more challenging fathers I’ve had to deal with.”
“I’d rather deal with him than Knox. He looks at me like he’s expecting me to drop Brink.”
“Don’t worry about it. In another few months, they won’t be so anxious. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.” Feeling the vibration in her pocket, she took her phone out of her pocket, seeing Greer’s text. “How much time do you think I would get if I strangled Greer?”
“The town would probably give you an award. What does he want? Rosie just got here.”
“He’s checking to make sure we put Rosie’s milk in the fridge. He doesn’t want it sitting out too long. He said that Holly shouldn’t be made to waste time pumping milk that is going to go bad because we’re too lazy to put it in the fridge.”