Greer sat down in the mud next to him.
When Logan tried to join in the fun with Jessie and Holly, Dustin pulled him down onto his lap.
“But I want to play,” Logan said, trying to get up.
“Boy, sit down,” Greer hissed. “Leave the women alone.”
“Why?” Logan asked innocently.
“I’ll tell you in about ten years. Until then, sit still and let your pa and me enjoy the show.”
15
“I surrender! You win!” Jessie called it quits on the tussle she was having with Holly.
Resting on the clump of mud, she was catching her breath when the sound of another motor came up the driveway.
Appalled that someone else was going to see her covered in the revolting mud, she tried to get up, only to find her butt sucked right back down.
She was trying to use the sleeve of her sweatshirt to swipe some of the mud from her face when Tate came around the corner.
“I was wondering what was taking Sutton so long to get home. She kept texting me that she was on her way from watching Rosie. Now I see what she’s been doing—watching you fools.”
“Come play, Uncle Tate!” Logan shouted, hitting the mud with a splat.
“Uh … no. Boy, you have enough idiots to keep you busy without me being suckered into that mess.” Tate crinkled his nose. “I’m going to head inside. Holly, do you have more of those spicy pickles you made over the summer?”
“I have a couple of jars left in the pantry.”
“Leave those pickles alone!” Greer shouted, trying to get out of the mud as Tate retreated to the front of the house.
“He’s gonna eat us out of home before that baby of his is born,” Greer complained, using Dustin’s shoulders to heave himself out of the mud.
“Help me.” Holly raised a hand for her husband, which Greer ignored as he slogged through the mud to get to firm ground.
“Get Dustin to help you. He made this mess. It’s every man and woman for themselves where I’m concerned. Tate’s got a wife to make him those damn pickles. He don’t need to be coming here swiping mine.”
“Greer is a little overprotective of his food,” Dustin explained, crawling over the mud to help Holly out.
“I see that.” Jessie shook her head in exasperation as Greer trudged around the corner. “He’s just as protective of Rosie.”
Dustin helped Holly and Logan out before holding his hand out to her.
“Logan, go get in the shower. Hurry up, because Jessie is going to need it next.”
Her sweat suit felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds. Jessie had to hold the bottoms at her hips to keep them from sliding down. “I can shower at my house.”
“You’ll never make it home dragging those pants. Come on. It won’t take a few minutes, and Holly can lend you some clothes to get home in.”
“I’ll leave them in the main bathroom before I take a shower,” Holly said, tugging a reluctant Logan out of the mud.
“I can walk.”
Holly gave her the same firm, scolding look that she always gave Logan. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll make some coffee, and you can have a cup before you go.”
Jessie knew when she was beaten.
Finally managing to reach dry ground, she turned and saw Dustin still trying to get out.
“You could help.”
Extending her hand, she let Dustin take it before using the leverage she had to shove him backward.
Dustin lay in the mud, staring upward at the darkening sky. “God, I should have known better. She pulled the same trick on me when I was eight.”
Jessie didn’t laugh at his woebegone talk to God. “You have to admit that you deserved it. Come on.” She stretched her hand out again. “I’ll behave this time.”
“Woman, you haven’t behaved a day since you used to steal my bottle,” Dustin complained, sitting up in the mud to wrench his boots off and throw them to the side. “You even used to sucker me out of my baby teeth to put them under your pillow.”
“It wasn’t my fault you were so gullible. They were teaching moments,” Jessie spouted out the same crap she still used from time to time at her daycare.
The thought of her daycare took away the fun she was having.
“I should be going ….”
“You’re not leaving me to face Holly alone. She’ll make me eat my dinner on the porch.” Crawling from the mud, he hefted himself to the side, finally freeing himself. “If you’re in that big of a hurry, you can have your shower before I take mine.”
“Okay, but I’m not staying long. Holt and Asher will be worried about me.”
“No, they won’t. They know I’ll take good care of you,” he contradicted her.
“I think I liked it better when we hated each other.”
Disgusted, Dustin removed his shirt, tossing it into the mud. He was having the same difficulty keeping his jeans on that she was her pants.