“Ginny … are you listening to me?”
She quit fiddling with her bracelet that Gavin had hooked back around her wrist after he removed the flower tape recorder.
“I’m listening. I … assumed that you would be staying with me at Silas’s. Are you not wanting to? Are you still angry because I smiled at Mr. Beck? I’m sorry. I was teasing you for being jealous.”
“I was not jealous.” Interrupting her flurry of questions, Gavin waved back at Greer as he came out of the sheriff’s office.
“You were—” Ginny broke off when there was a tapping on the window, she pressed the electronic button to roll the window down.
“What’s up?” Greer said.
“Not much. Waiting for Viper so he can drive me home,” Ginny told him.
“Viper said that fucker whining in the jail cell beat the hell out of you. You okay?”
“Yes, other than being sore. I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
“Then you’re doing better than the twat waffle in the cell. He’s crying for a doctor.”
Greer’s gaze went to Gavin. “Boy, I’m disappointed in you. If that fucker had taken a cane to my wife, I’d have blown his hand clean off.”
Ginny didn’t doubt he would have. Greer was bloodthirsty as hell when came to defending women. Truth to tell, all the Porter men were. The other men in town would cross the road rather than take a chance on getting on their bad side.
“He’s not my husband,” Ginny quickly corrected his misunderstanding.
“I would have, but Ginny stopped me.”
Her hackles came back at Gavin agreeing with Greer’s violent dismemberment of Allerton.
“Take a piece of my advice. When it comes to shootin’ someone, what the wife don’t know don’t hurt her none.”
Ginny moved her finger back to electronic button. The last thing Gavin needed was to take any of Greer’s marital advice.
“Hey!” Greer shouted.
Ginny reluctantly took her finger of the button.
“You damn near cut my arm off.”
“Sorry.” She really wasn’t sorry, and from Greer’s keen gaze, he was aware of the fact.
“It’s a sorry day when you save that fucker’s arm who beat the fuck out of you, while you try to cut mine off with a window.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Like I believe that crock. And here I only came over to give you my congratulations on getting hitched.”
“Thank-you. I appreciate your well wishes.”
Ginny raised her voice to be heard over Gavin’s. “Gavin and I aren’t hitched!”
Greer stared at Gavin pityingly. “Boy, you gotta show her who’s boss. She running over your ass now, it won’t be long before she’s taking over your checking account. Won’t let you drink a beer in front of the youngins—”
Greer poked his head up over the roof of the car as another car pulled in next to Viper’s.
Ginny saw Greer’s wife getting out the car as she said something to her sister-in-law, who was behind the steering wheel. From the open window, Ginny could hear the squabble of childish voices coming from the back seat before Holly closed the door to walk around Viper’s car.
“Hey, Ginny,” Holly greeted her.
“Hey, Holly,” Ginny responded. “Sounds like you and Sutton have your hands full with the kids.”
“They’re tired of being cooped up, and so are we. Sutton and I are getting them some take-out and letting them go hiking toward Big Eddy’s Creek.”
“Sounds like fun.”
Holly laughed. “We’re hoping they’ll come back and crash for the rest of evening. Sutton and I need a girls’ night.”
Greer snorted rudely. “How about a hubby night? You promised me for the last week that you would switch out with Sutton and Jessie. What’s a man gotta do to get some lovin’?”
Holly wiggled the back of her finger to Greer, indicting she wanted to talk to him privately.
Mulishly, Greer stomped over to her. “What?”
“I need forty dollars for the take-out.”
“Where you eatin’? Kings?” Greer sulkily took out his wallet. “There’s a twenty; take ’em to 7-Eleven. Their Big Gulps are on sale. Buy two for them heathens to share. It’ll cost you a couple of dollars. Take what’s left and go to White Castle; you can get a ton of those little burgers to feed all of you. Forget the fries; they’re too expensive.” Greer started to put his wallet back in his pants.
Holly determinedly remained standing in front of him with her hand out. “I like fries, and so do your children, Sutton, and your nephews.”
“Woman, you’re killin’ me!” Greer opened his wallet, giving her the money she requested.
Holly still didn’t move her hand away. “You can also hand over the check you stole from the back of our checkbook this morning.”
“Woman, I told you I’ma buyin’ that new rifle that just came back in stock at Beacon’s.”
“And I told you no.”
“It’s my money!” Greer caterwauled.
“Our money. And if you want it that badly, you can ask Santa to bring it to you for Christmas. Give it back.”