Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

She looked around at the few remaining guests to see who she could ask to walk her home. Most were still dancing or, like Greer, were trying to finish off what was left of the food.

Finding a spot at the picnic table, she watched as Dustin danced with Holly until she grew tired. When he then asked a long-legged blonde she recognized as Virgil’s daughter, she’d had enough.

Putting her jacket on, she went to the other picnic table, where Greer and Holly were now sitting. “It’s time I headed home. Thanks for inviting me. I had a great time.” Well, she had until Dustin had decided to dance with a woman who could keep up with him.

Greer looked up from his plate, then frowned as he looked to where Dustin was still dancing. “You ain’t going alone. I’ll walk you.”

Jessie gave him a smile as if her heart weren’t breaking in two. “There’s no need. I texted Bubba. He already left my house. I better hurry. I don’t want to keep him waiting. Thanks again.”

Jessie took off before they could say anything else. She avoided looking where everyone was dancing, walking beside the house until she was able to turn the corner and walk toward the woods.

Taking out her flashlight, she turned it on as she entered the dark shadows.

This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done, Jessie berated herself as dried leaves crunched under her feet.

“Why in the fuck didn’t you tell me that you were ready to leave?”

Jessie gave a startled scream at Dustin’s voice behind her.

She angrily hit his shoulder, yelling, “You big jerk! You know better than to come up behind me!”

“You scared the hell out of me, too! Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to leave?”

“I don’t know,” she snapped. “Maybe because you were busy making kissy face with Anna!” Whacking him again with the flashlight, she huffily walked off, not caring if he followed her or not. Well, she did, but she would be damned if she was going to tell him that.

“I wasn’t making kissy face with her,” he denied.

“You could have fooled me.” She walked faster, wanting to leave him behind.

“You’re being rid—”

Dustin stopped in his tracks when she swung around, using the end of the flashlight to poke him in the chest.

“Don’t you dare tell me I’m being ridiculous!”

Dustin raked a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I was just having a good time. I got carried away. I just … I don’t know what I was thinking. I thought you would come back over when you wanted to dance again. I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

Her hurt didn’t go away, but at least the sharp jab of jealously was easing until she didn’t feel the need to brain him with her flashlight.

Placing his arm over her shoulders, he started walking alongside her. “Where’s Bubba? Greer said he was supposed to meet you.”

“I might have lied about that,” she admitted.

“Why in the hell would you have lied about something so important?”

“I was jealous, okay!”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. I’m a jackass.” He said it as if he was expecting her to say something.

She looked at him questioningly when he stopped walking.

“You could apologize for making googly eyes at Rider.”

Jessie frowned at him. “Why would I do that?”

His voice rose in incredulity. “Because you were making googly eyes at him!”

She stared back at him just as incredulously. “If you were a woman, you would have done the same thing.”

“No, I wouldn’t have. If I were a woman, I would have standards,” he argued.

Her eyes widened at his arrogance. “That’s funny as hell coming from you. Have you seen yourself around Willa?” Jessie twisted her expression into one she had seen on Dustin’s face too many times. “Willa, is that a new dress you’re wearing?” she mimicked. “Willa”—Jessie crinkled her nose—“is that a new perfume you’re wearing? Wait.” She rolled her eyes heavenward. “This is my favorite. Willa, what did you make special for me today?” Jessie stuck a finger in her mouth, pretending to gag. “Yeah, if you were a woman, you would do so … much better, you big jerk.”

“Hey, give me that flashlight.”

Jessie jerked the flashlight away before he could snatch it from her.

“Na-na-na-boo-boo-wha. You can’t have it.” She darted around a tree when he tried to grab it again.

“Woman, I’m going to paddle that ass when I catch you.”

“You’ll have to catch me first,” she taunted, running just out of his reach around another tree. “Na-na-na-boo-boo-wha! You big baby!” Laughing uproariously, she poked her tongue out at him before grabbing a low branch and quickly releasing it, smiling in satisfaction when she heard the whomp of it hitting him.

“Na-na-na—whoof!”

She had turned her head around to see how close he was when she had misjudged the size of the broken limb. Jessie found the air knocked out of her, the flashlight flying upward. She was spitting out a leaf when Dustin caught it in the palm of his hand.