Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

Jessie opened the plastic container she brought from home. “What are you girls doing this weekend?”

“Unless Bliss can hook me up with Dustin, I’ll be doing the same thing I do every weekend—watching television.”

Jessie speared a fork into a piece of watermelon. “Have you thought about looking online? That’s how most people are meeting.”

“I thought about it, but with my luck, I’d attract a mass murderer.”

“I’m sure it’s safe if you’re smart about it.” Jessie took another bite of her fruit salad before asking Bliss what her and Drake’s plans were.

“Staying home with Darcy. Drake has been so busy since he became mayor that we think it’s why Darcy has been getting so many stomachaches lately.”

Jessie tactfully tried to give another cause that could be at the root of Darcy’s stomachaches. “Could it be because she’s no longer spending every day here with you since she started kindergarten? It has to be a hard adjustment for her.”

“I tried to make an appointment with her teacher this week, but she didn’t have any time available until after school Monday. So, I’ll have to wait until then. Darcy says she loves school, but I’m worried she might just be saying that because she doesn’t want to tell me the truth.”

“Hopefully, it’s just a stomach bug she’s having trouble getting over, and you’re worrying unnecessarily.”

“I hope so.” A frown marred Bliss’s expression before she changed the subject. “How about you? What are you doing this weekend?”

“Cleaning my apartment and doing laundry. If I get energetic, I might go on a hike.”

“I wish I had your energy. The only energetic thing I want to do this weekend is pop popcorn.” Kailor gave Bliss a beseeching glance. “Unless Dustin calls, then I’m game for anything.”

Jessie speared a grape from her salad, crushing the flesh of the fruit with her teeth to keep from biting her tongue at the woman’s persistence. It didn’t work.

“Take my advice. If he does call, hang up.”

“Yeah right, like you wouldn’t talk to Dustin if he called you.”

“He would never call me.”

“Why not?”

Jessie snapped the lid back on her food container. “Dustin knows. I have his number.”

3

“Mr. Porter, what are your goals for Logan?”

Dustin’s lips tightened at the condescending tone of the man sitting behind the desk.

“Goals? I haven’t really thought about it. Logan’s just in the fourth grade.”

“It’s never too early to start planning for your child’s future.”

Dustin stopped himself from fidgeting at the principal’s superior attitude. He had never done well when he’d been forced to deal with an authoritative attitude. His own time in school had been marked with several confrontations that led to him saying fuck it and dropping out of school his senior year. He didn’t want Logan to develop the same attitude, which was why he was sitting in the school office, letting a man he detested peer at him from behind large glasses in disdain.

“Dustin and I are both aware of how important Logan’s academic success is for his future.”

Dustin shot Holly a sidelong glance when she placed a hand on his arm and for turning Harrison’s beady eyes toward her.

“Are you?” Harrison Elliot studied them critically. “It doesn’t seem that way to me.”

This time, it was he who placed his hand over Holly’s where it was resting on his arm. “How are we not taking this seriously?” Dustin ground out. “We punished Logan for fighting with Fynn, Holly and I are both sitting here to discuss his behavior with you and Ms. Ledford. It’s the first time he has been in trouble in school, he has excellent grades, and as far as I know, none of his teachers before Ms. Ledford had a problem with his behavior.”

Logan’s teacher raised her haughty nose toward him. “Mr. Porter, Harrison and I are both trying to stymie Logan’s negative reactions before they get out of our control.”

“Logan doesn’t need you to control him. He just needs you to teach him. If you can’t do that, then I suggest Harrison find another teacher who can,” he snapped. Done with being polite, Dustin straightened his shoulders.

Etta Ledford’s lips pinched together. Dustin silently dared her to say what she truly wanted to say. After a second, the pinch-faced prune dropped her gaze.

“I didn’t say I couldn’t teach him Mr. Porter, only that we can’t allow Logan’s behavior to threaten other children’s safety.”

Dustin took a deep breath, steadying his temper. Logan had been wrong when getting in a fight with Fynn, and he sure as shit took it seriously, but them suggesting Logan could hurt another child showed his teacher had made no attempt to get to know his child at all.

“Logan couldn’t hurt a fly if he had to. He didn’t lay a hand on Fynn, other than knock his tray out of his hand and defend himself when Fynn hit him. Has Silas been in to talk about his brother’s behavior?”