“You have fifty thousand dollars?”
She gaped at him. “You make fifty thousand dollars?” Her eyes narrowed on the men’s faces. “How much pot did you plant?” she shouted at them.
Rachel went to close the door, giving her a censuring look.
“Yeah, it’s a light year. I’ve been busy courting you,” he admitted unashamedly.
“You think this is a light year?” She dropped Dustin’s arm, lifting her pointer finger to poke Greer hard in the chest, forcing him to take a step down off the porch. “It’s going to be even lighter next year.” Stabbing him in the chest again, she forced him down another step until she stood eye level with him. “It’s going to be so light, it’s going to be nonexistent. You understand me?” She tried to lower her voice and failed, practically screaming in Greer’s face. “I suggest you find a freaking job. If not, I can support you until you do. Dustin already has a job, and Tate …” Her mind drew a blank at what Tate could do. “You can figure that out for yourself, but the pot-growing Porters has reached the end of the road. You hear me?”
“The whole county hears you,” Greer mumbled.
“Good!” Holly took several deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. “So help me God …” Holly moved to walk back and forth across the small porch, the Porters moving skittishly out of her way.
“You said we can’t change anything, so there’s no need to stand here, trying to stop it. The only thing we can do is wait for Logan to draw and see what he does. Do you agree?”
They nodded.
“I’ll go to the bank Monday morning and give you what I have saved.”
“I don’t want your money—”
“Shut up!” she snapped at Greer. “You and Dustin can go home. I’m going to enjoy my last night of being single. I’ll see you at the ceremony. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. That is, if I don’t change my mind and decide not to marry you!”
“Woman, you’re gonna marry me!” Greer snarled obstinately.
“Maybe I will … Maybe I won’t,” she taunted, going to the screen door and jerking it open.
“Woman …”
She would have gone inside, but the plea in his voice stopped her. That he had lowered his guard to make himself vulnerable in front of his family had her hesitating.
“God help me, I’ll be there,” she said, going inside and slamming the door behind her. “Sutton, you have any of that wine left?”
29
Sharpshooter: You wake up in a better mood this morning?
Sharpshooter: I never got the chance to tell you something yesterday.
Sharpshooter: I know everyone thinks I’m a joke. That I don’t care about anyone but myself. I do. I care about my family and you.
Sharpshooter: I held a grudge over Logan, and I let it blind me. If I could do it differently now, I would. Every month I lived with you, I fell deeper in love. So deep I didn’t know how to get out of the hole I had dug myself into. My pa told me never to dig a hole that you can’t get yourself out of. I didn’t listen until it was almost too late.
Sharpshooter: I tried to show you by planting the daisies for you, and by building the chicken coop for you, even though you believed Tate built it. I tried to show you when I paid Jo to put that tire on for you, and when I made that picnic for you. I didn’t ask Jo to meet me that day. It was for you.
Sharpshooter: I was so lovesick for you that I couldn’t work up the courage to tell you. I would rather have taken a beating from the Colemans, the Hayes, and The Last Riders than admit it. I deserve the blessings God has given me, but I don’t deserve you.
Sharpshooter: I think that when I was a boy, I was gifted the vision of the daisy, because God knew I was going to grow up to be an asshole, and He didn’t want me to lose the best gift He had planned for me.
Sharpshooter: If you hadn’t changed that icon, I would have let you walk away from me and never known what I was missing. You don’t have to marry me today, but I’m praying you will. I will be waiting for you with my mama’s wedding ring in my pocket.
Sharpshooter: P.S. I had King drop my wedding present off to you. It should be there soon.
Holly hugged the expensive bottle of champagne to her chest, reading Greer’s messages through misty eyes. She didn’t answer him. Some messages deserved to be answered in person.
Diamond took her wedding dress off the door of the closet. “You ready to get dressed?”
“Yes.”
Her best friend and Sutton helped her get dressed, while Rachel sat on the bed, breastfeeding Ema and watching. She carefully juggled the baby to reach onto the dressing table to hand her tissues.
“You look beautiful,” Diamond complimented her as she started to put on the veil.
“Not yet. I’m going through the woods. I don’t want it dragging on the ground.”
Swinging in a circle, she watched herself in the mirror. Picking up her long dress, she then turned toward the women.
“We need to get moving before the men can talk Greer into breaking out the moonshine.” She left the bedroom, practically dancing on air. When she got to the porch, she paused to straighten Logan’s tie.
“You look very handsome.”
Logan turned bright red when she leaned down to kiss her son.
“I love you, son.”
“I love you, Mama.”
She hugged him tight before straightening. “You hear that? How did Greer …?” She heard music coming from the direction of the daisy field.
Sutton laughed, helping her to lift her dress up again. “He borrowed Mick’s equipment. I bet every house can hear it.”
Holly held her hand out to Logan, going down the steps then starting in the direction of the path that led between the two properties. Walking up the path, she passed their guests one by one. As she and Logan passed, they fell in step behind her bridal party.
The beautiful day didn’t have a cloud in sight. As she walked, she pictured Greer, the stubborn man she had grown to love. That was why she had decided to walk instead of drive. Their path had always been hard. So many years of heartbreak had stood between them.
She bent her knees, so Diamond could put her veil on as their guests found a spot to sit in the field that Greer, Logan, and God had created for her.
When the music went from honky tonk to the wedding march, she walked to the oak tree where Greer and his brothers waited.
“Who gives this woman away to matrimony?”
Logan cleared his voice at their pastor’s question. “I do.” Her son handed her hand to Greer.
The wedding was a blur of tears. When Greer slid her mother’s wedding band on her finger, she clasped his hand, kissing him, feeling the summer breeze ruffle the layers of her veil. When they finished kissing, Greer took out his pocket knife, and then each of them took their time carving their initials into the old tree. Turning, they then raised their hands as their friends cheered.
“Woman, you’re mine.” Greer swept her into his arms, twirling her in a circle.
“Greer, you’re making me dizzy.” She laughed.
“Let’s go cut our cake before the Hayes eat it all.” Greer had used the massive front yard to set up stations for food and a huge cake.
She grabbed his suit jacket, pulling him close for another kiss. “Thank you for inviting them.”
“I told you I’d let bygones be bygones.”
She didn’t quite trust that Greer wouldn’t get payback, but she wasn’t going to let it worry her today. Today was her and Greer’s day, and she wouldn’t let anything ruin it for them.
They ran through the daisies—Logan, her, and Greer—sending them swaying.
Logan broke away from her. “I’m gonna go eat.” The spinning hamburger wheel had captured his attention.
“He sounds more like you every day.”
“I know,” Greer said, slicking down his shirt to tuck back into his trousers.
Holly rolled her eyes. “Zip up your pants
.”
When he looked down, she swatted him under his chin. “Gotcha to look.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“You just can’t let anyone get anything over on you, can you?”
“Hell, no. I wouldn’t be a Porter if I did.”
Reminding herself she didn’t want anything to spoil her day, she took a plate from one of the servers.
“Thank you.” Her smile slipped when she saw it was Lindy.
Ignoring the waitress’s hate-filled glare, she took one of the hamburgers and one of the miniature hot dogs, seeing Greer loading his plate with five of them.
Her new husband brazenly propped two hamburgers on top before leading her to the large table.
She took small bites as most of her guests stopped by to congratulate them.
One of waiters brought a tray of champagne to the table. As she took two of the glasses, one for Greer, she saw a man talking to Jessie she didn’t recognize, thrilled that the woman was dating someone.
She had gotten to know Jessie from when Logan was in her daycare, and then the summers when school was out. They had connected with each other, both having no one special in their lives.
She tapped Greer’s shoulder to give him his drink. “Do you know the man with Jessie?”
Greer turned away from Shade. “Who?” He looked to where Jessie was standing by herself.
“Never mind. I’ll show you later. Jessie brought a date. I was wondering who he was.”
“Unless he has a wad of cash in his checking account and is willing to kiss her brothers’ asses, he’s wasting his time.”
“Be nice,” she scolded.
“I was.” He snorted, turning to continue his conversation with Shade.
Holly chatted with Diamond and Knox as Greer made another trip to the food stations. He was only one bite into his sixth hot dog when they were called to take their first dance.
Greer had strung fairy lights across the yard, and it was beautiful with the sun going down, the day disappearing into a magical night.
The cake was just as delicious as the food, and she spent most of the evening tearing Greer away from the food tables to the dance floor.
She was resting her head dreamily on his shoulder as the guests started leaving, not even lifting her head when King spoke to Greer over her head that he was breaking down the stations and his staff would be leaving.
“You ready for me to carry you over the threshold?”
When she nodded, he unexpectedly swept her up into his arms and carried her to the front door. Lowering his knees, he opened the door then carried her inside, leaving the few guests outside shouting their drunken encouragements to Greer.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Porter.”
When he put her down, she pressed a quick kiss to Greer’s lips.
“Thank you, but I have to use the bathroom.”
“Why didn’t you go in Tate’s house?”
“I planned to, but every time I started to, someone started to talk to me. I want to get changed and say good night to Logan, anyway. I won’t be a minute, and you can show me around the house after Logan goes to Tate’s.”
“Hurry, woman. I’m ready to get started on my honeymoon.”
She would have kissed him again, but she had to go to the bathroom too badly.
Getting out of her wedding dress with a full bladder wasn’t an experience she ever wanted to repeat.
Diamond had already laid out the outfit she wanted on the bed. Quickly, she pulled on the jeans and top, going back to the living room, where Greer was lighting candles.
“The bathroom is gorgeous, but what made you decide not to buy the fixtures I picked out?”
“They were out of stock.”
“I’m not going to complain. At least that stench is gone from the yard. I was worried you wouldn’t get the septic line repaired before the wedding.”
“It was my first priority today, other than marrying you.”
“Let’s go say good night to Logan, so we can make out.”
“I’m hoping to do more than make out. I’m a married man now; I expect more than I’ve been getting,” he teased, wrapping his arm around her waist.
“You sure you can even do your husbandly duties after all that food you ate.”
“I worked it off. I’m good to go.”
Logan was sitting at a table, finishing his second piece of cake, when they found him. Tate and Dustin were sprawled out on their chairs with their jackets off and their top buttons undone. Rachel was buckling Ema into her car seat, while Cash said good night to King, who was driving the van with the servers.
“Can I light another sparkler before I leave?” Logan begged, setting his fork down.
“Go ahead. The box is on the porch,” Dustin agreed, indulging him.
“Sutton, thank you for letting me stay last night, and for helping with Logan.”
“I can put up with more if you and Greer need some more alone time.”
“I’m anxious to have him home after yester …” He broke off at the horror on Sutton’s face.
Jerking around, she saw Tate and Dustin jump out of their chairs, and Greer running toward Logan.
“Don’t you fucking move, or I’ll kill him.”
Paralyzed in shock, she stood still, seeing Logan held against the chest of the man she had seen with Jessie. His hand was covering Logan’s nose and mouth, his eyes wildly beseeching her as he struggled to breathe.
“Let him go!” Holly took a step forward, only to have Greer jerk her back as the man cocked the gun against Logan’s head.
“I don’t want to kill the kid, but I will if you don’t do what I want.”
“Let him breathe. We’ll do whatever you want,” Dustin begged.
The man nodded his head in her direction. “I want her.”
She immediately took a step toward him, but Greer wouldn’t release her arm.
“Please, Greer.” One at a time, she peeled his fingers off her arm then walked toward the man holding her son’s life in his hands.
In what seemed like slow motion, she drew closer, trying to understand why he wanted her. Then she realized she had seen him before today.
“You’re Mitch’s friend.”
A smile of satisfaction filled his face. “You stupid bitch, did you really think I would let you be happy when you’re the reason he is dead?”
Logan’s body went limp.
“You have me. Let him go.” She stepped closer, so he would release Logan.
He dropped Logan to the ground then reached for her, his hand going to her shirt sleeve to jerk her to him. Then he pointed the gun at her.
The explosion of sound had her screaming, expecting the piercing pain of a bullet. Mitch’s friend’s face became a mask of pain as another bullet went into him, making him drop to his knees.
Frantically, Holly picked up Logan as the men rushed him, giving a sobbing laugh when Logan stared up at her.
Moving away from the Porters’ beating, she adjusted Logan until he was sitting on her hip, crying.
“You’re almost getting too big for me to hold.” She rubbed his back soothingly.
She was using the hem of her T-shirt to wipe blood away from his lip when a bursting pain struck her in the back so suddenly she couldn’t call out.
Falling to her knees, she tried not to drop Logan, but she couldn’t prevent him from slipping out of her arms.
She tried to lift her hands to the agonizing pain coming from chest. Instinctively, she tried not pass out. Like a wounded animal, her instinct was to get back on her feet and get Logan to run. She fought the swirling darkness to reach for Logan.
The scream she had held back for herself broke free when she saw Logan’s chest covered in blood, and he was gasping for air, trying to breathe.
“Logan!” she whimpered, the darkness closing in on her, making her fall next to him, staring into his glazed eyes.
“Greer!” She felt herself turn, finding his ashen face over hers.
“I got you. You’re going to be all right,” he sobbed out.
With a strength of will she didn’t know she possessed, she pushed his hands off her. They were covered in her blood. “Save Logan.”
He tried to press down on her chest again, but she pushed him away, pleading with him with the last of her dying strength.
“Save Logan …” She gave a hiccup, the salty taste of blood in her mouth. “I told you I wasn’t afraid to die. Save my baby, Greer. I’m begging you.”
Greer sobbed as he went to Logan.
She coughed up the blood that was slowly drowning her as she turned her head to see Greer’s hands on Logan’s chest. Her fingernails scraped the ground to reach for her son’s hand, taking it into hers.
Greer would save him. He didn’t know how to lose.
30
Greer pressed his shaking hands to his nephew’s chest, covering the bullet hole that had traveled from Holly’s back, through her chest, and into Logan’s.
As he called for the spirits’ help, he saw Cash and Tate holding down the gunman’s arm, as Dustin untangled the pile that had converged to disarm him. In one movement, he picked up the gun, pointing it at him, while Tate and Cash still fought to restrain him. Firing a single bullet to his head, he then turned and ran after the woman who had shot Holly in the back.
The woman who had stepped out of the shadows to shoot Holly was now running back to safety as Dustin ran toward her. He fired a shot to her leg, making her jerk, but she was still trying to limp away. His brother shot her other leg, bringing her down. When he was close enough, he kicked the woman over, pointing the gun at her chest, and fired his remaining bullets into her chest. Then he threw the gun at her.
“Spirits, hear my call for help.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rachel crawl from under a table, dragging the car seat with her. Sutton got out from under another table, her cell phone in hand.
“Logan, hear my voice. Logan, no! Get your ass back here now! Listen to my voice.” Gentling his tone, he reassured the little boy, “I got you. Don’t let go.”