The Plan (The Hillers of Barratt County #4)

Chapter 9

9

He’d told her to stay put, then he’d rounded the front of the truck. Ronnie found herself lifted out of the belly of the big red beast and lowered slowly to the ground. He kissed her once—as if he had the right—then wove his fingers through hers. “Come on. Time to meet the family.”

She balked. Sudden nerves went straight through her. She didn’t want to meet his mother. Everyone else, yes. And she had already met his mother. But meeting his mother while carrying the woman’s grandchild… terrified her. Utterly terrified her. “I’m not so great with mothers. I should probably tell you that right now. They scare me.”

“Why?”

That was her George—the man had no real filter. He wanted information, he was going to demand it. Until he got it. Sometimes it was easier just to give it to him. “You know about my sister. Well, after Celia disappeared… my mom sort of just stopped being our mom. Well, mine and Becky’s, anyway. The boys were all older. And… didn’t look just like my little sister, reminding her every day of who was lost.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you. All of it.” He pulled her close. Until her nose was practically pressed against his chest. Oh, he felt so strong—capable of keeping the world at bay forever. Was it wrong to just want to grab hold and cling? “My mom will adore you. You are the mother of her first grandchild. And probably… numbers two, three, and four, maybe? I can do four. I think we can afford four kids, if we space them out a few years, and we can bring them to the office with us each day to save on childcare. We’ll have to hire a nanny for when we are working, though. There’s the storage space behind the conference room—we can turn it into a kid-safe play area, I think. I have some money in my trust fund, but I am not quite old enough to access it yet. We can talk details later. It might take a little longer to get the house fixed up perfectly, if you want more kids than four, though. I could see… six. We could even do six in the house comfortably. If you are up to it, I mean.”

Huh? He’d said no strings, nothing permanent, and now he was saying this? He wasn’t her George any longer. He was a pod person, switched out with an alien being or something. That was the only thing that made any sense at all. “Are you serious? Or did you go off the deep end after I quit?”

“I realized something after you quit. But… I’m not going to tell you what it was, until you are ready to hear it. Now… kiss me. My mother is inside waiting.”

Just like that, the panic came rushing right back.

Veronica had a look of fear in those big eyes of hers. George wanted to scoop her close again and promise to make everything all right. The way he should have that night he’d taken her virginity.

If he had, they would have long been past these awkward moments before they’d even known she was pregnant. She could have come to him and seduced him and told him after. With a tiny baby outfit in her hands, maybe. He’d have scooped her up and loved her all night, right there in the bed they’d share the rest of their life.

Maybe he would be best served by just taking her home with him tonight and doing his damnedest to get her naked. It would be a natural progression from naked to his bed. Then he’d just keep her until morning. After that, he would get a marriage license, and talk to his youngest brother Gunn. Just make the inevitable happen.

Gunn was the minister of the new church on Reservoir Road; his appointment wasn’t even a month old yet. They could be married by his brother within the week. Saturday would probably be best. She’d want her family there, after all. He didn’t know where her brothers were right now, but she always spoke of them with love.

Although… from what she’d let slip, he wasn’t so certain he’d want her mother there on their wedding day. He understood the woman had been hurting, but how could she not see the beautiful, wonderful woman Veronica was?

He slipped his arm around her waist. He’d just give her his family. People who would love and adore her just like he did. He pulled her close on the steps. And kissed her one more time. “We’re going to figure this out. I promise.”

Oh, he definitely knew how to play the game, didn’t he? Of course he did. George was glib and quick-witted. Able to get what he wanted.

Well, it wasn’t going to work on her.

The front door opened. A young girl was outlined there. “Mom wants to know if you are ever coming inside, Georgie.”

“In just a moment.” He looked at Ronnie. “That’s my sister, Genesis. She’s the sweet one, which is actually frightening. She’ll be seventeen soon.”

Ronnie just nodded. She knew he had three sisters and four brothers. And they were close. Closer than she and her siblings were, though she thought they did okay, considering.

“Who is that?” the teenager asked. She was very small to be George’s little sister. Giavonna, his nineteen-year-old sister—the only one Ronnie knew—was five-nine or so, and had a figure Ronnie greatly envied. This girl was maybe five feet, and had to be well under one hundred pounds. She wore glasses and had her hair up in a messy bun. She was adorable—in that everybody’s kid sister kind of way.

“This is Veronica.”

“Ronnie,” Ronnie corrected. Who wanted to be called Veronica all the time? Veronica sounded like a cartoon character.

“You’re Ronnie? I thought Ronnie was a dude.” The girl just kept looking at them both. “And Veronica was his paralegal that finally got smart and left. The one George talks about nonstop? You’re the same person.”

Something about her made Ronnie want to both smile… and cry. Celia used to look at Cam, Murdoch, and Anthony with that same kind of pesky curiosity. Did George appreciate what he had?

“Veronica is most certainly not a dude,” George said, still trying to tug Ronnie up the stairs. “Don’t you have homework or something?”

She crossed her eyes at her big brother. “Already finished it. Besides, Mom and Dad want us all here so they can talk to us about something important. Greer is inside, but Gia had a double date with Chantal. Gene and that stupid ass Chad are supposed to pick them up at the diner on their way, then drop Chan and Chad off at their house.”

“Don’t call Chad an ass,” George said. “He’s not an ass.”

“He’s an ass. I was on a date with Jakob yesterday, and Jakob was getting ready to kiss me. A good kiss, too. With tongues. Chad and Gene and Guthrie ran him off and laughed. Like they had the right. And Chad said he was sick and tired of having to rescue me and Chantal all the time, and why can’t I just be more like Gia? He should just marry Gia someday, since he thinks she’s so perfect. Then again, I love my sister. I wouldn’t wish Chad Fields on anybody I actually loved or anything like that.”

George looked at Ronnie. “The neighbor’s son. He’s been close friends with my younger brothers for years, and went to med school with my brother Guthrie. He has a sister close to my sisters’ ages. Genesis apparently doesn’t like him.”

Genesis shot him a look, then came up to Ronnie. She held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Genny Hiller. Best of the lot.”

“Hello, Genny, it’s nice to meet you.”

George looked at her after the teen was gone. “There. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Don’t be a jerk, Georgie. It doesn’t become you.”