Chapter 19
Greer recognized the big dark blue truck the instant George pulled in and parked. Her first visit with Dr. Lewis had been a good one. A good memory. Now…this.
Of course. The toad was good at ruining everything. “Oh, no. This is not good.”
Ronnie, stomach protruding in front of her, just looked at her. “What?”
“That’s Kurt’s truck. And he…despises Gene. I don’t know why.”
“I suspect I may know why,” George said, quietly. Hesitantly. “You don’t know, do you? About where Kurt came from? Who he is related to?”
“Not really. He never said, either.”
“He and his half-brother were in the foster system. His half-brother was Kevin Chase, Greer. Dwayne Yunderhall’s friend.
They both lived with us for about a year, when Mom was carrying you.
They…were moved, after Dad saw one of them shove Gia hard.
She hit her head. That scar on her hairline is from that.
She needed two stitches. You were only three weeks old at the time, and Gia was almost seven.
Kurt’s brother was the one who…died…that day.
There were rumors going around after that Gene caused the crash that day.
We just didn’t pay attention to the rumors.
We were too busy at the hospital, waiting to know if you’d be okay. ”
“That was Kurt’s brother who died that day. I am going to pu—"
She jumped out of her brother’s truck faster than she should have. And promptly lost all of her lunch. Right there in the drive.
Now she understood why he had hated her enough to do what he had. He was getting back at her for his own brother’s death that day. It really was revenge against Gene. Not just because the two didn’t get along, but it went so much deeper than that.
He had used her. Completely.
Kurt had done this on purpose. He’d probably gotten her pregnant on purpose, after she’d told him she wasn’t on birth control that night before they’d slept together. So that he could make her lose someone she loved, like he had. The ultimate hurt—to take her child from her.
She had been so stupid.
Ronnie handed her some water. Greer rinsed her mouth quickly. Then Ronnie gave her a stick of gum. “It’ll help until you can get inside to brush your teeth. Trust me. I’m an old hand at this, thanks to your brother and his wildly potent seed.”
Greer just nodded. “Thanks.”
“But…it looks like Gene may be trying to kill the father of your child right now. No one is trying to stop him. Not even Gunn. Kurt is fighting just as fiercely. He just…poor Gene—that one probably hurt. And…there goes Grady. Brotherly loyalty and all. I've seen it far too many times before.”
No. Her brothers weren’t going to fight her battles for her. That was just not happening.
Greer stepped closer, and sure enough, Kurt and Gene were acting like fools in the front yard. And Grady was grabbing for Kurt now.
None of the others were stopping them. Not even Gunn.
Greer calmly stepped around the side of the nearest barn fifty feet away. With a few jerks she turned the garden hose full blast, grabbed the end, and dragged the length right to where they still rolled around like children.
She turned the nozzle to full pressure.
And aimed.
Right below Kurtland Chase’s stupid, ugly face.
And squeezed the trigger with all her might. The jerk. He had done this to her on purpose. And while she loved the baby more than words could say, Kurt was a toad, through and through.
She ignored the rest of her brothers cackling around them all and Ronnie lecturing them for their inability to control themselves and Gene.
When they rolled apart and looked at her, she focused on the man who had changed her world. She shot him with the hose again. “Just what are you doing to my brothers, you evil manpig?”
“Hi, sweetheart, I’m glad you’re home. I’ve been waiting for you.
Two of them jumped me. There really is a baby?
I was hoping there was.” He shot her a ridiculously gorgeous grin.
The ass was soaked, and he was grinning like he was having a good time.
“So…what did the doctor say? How’s our kid?
Did they do one of those ultrasound things yet?
If they did, can I see? Are you doing okay? How are you feeling?”
“You know about the baby?” She glared at her brothers who had sheepish expressions on their faces. “Who told?”
She turned the hose in their directions, threateningly.
“They didn’t have to tell me. I already knew.” He rolled to his feet, a muddy mess. “I was just waiting for you to tell me. I didn’t want to steal your moment, if you weren’t ready. I know you were scared to tell me.”
Of course he wanted there to be a baby. For his revenge. Well, he wasn’t going to manipulate using their baby. He just wasn’t. She would fight to the death to protect her baby from a user like Kurtland Tyson Chase.
“It’s no business of yours. You are not taking my baby away from me, no matter what revenge plot you have going on in that stupid head of yours, you jerk!” She sprayed him again. And again. “Stay away from me!”
She just kept shooting him.
He just kept coming right for her.
She was gorgeous. Beautiful. Everything. “Greer, darlin’, can’t we just talk for a few minutes here? I’m not after revenge. I never have been. Not really. And I’m not going to take the baby away. I promise. I just want to talk.”
“No. I don’t want anything to do with you ever again. I told you that, that night. When you used me to get back at Gene, then dumped me when we were both still naked in your bed, remember? Why won’t you listen? Stay away!”
She kept talking like that and her brothers were going to shred him to pieces and feed him to the chickens. Kurt just kept going, even though the water was damned cold. “Greer, just let me explain…”
“No. Go away!” She dropped the hose and just booked it to the one place he definitely wouldn’t be able to get to her.
Behind a solid wall of five Hiller brothers. Rumbling, angry six-foot-three-plus Hiller brothers at that. And he was certain there were signs of caveman DNA with them all.
Kurt fought the frustration. Hell, he was going to have to re-strategize.
Because not just Gene was gearing up to slaughter him. They all were. Except the nice one, anyway. And he just stood there, Greer tight in his arms, rocking her gently, a glare to rival all glares trained right on Kurt.
Kurt was going to have to retreat here. But…
He wasn’t leaving without telling her how he felt.
He yelled it at the top of his lungs. “Damn it, woman, I love you! And I always will! I’m going to get you forever; it’s just a matter of time.
I just got stupid scared that night because you mean so much, and I wasn’t ready.
You can’t run and hide forever, Greer Hiller.
Got that? I love you and I’m going to chase you to the corners of the earth if I have to. ”
He grabbed his ruined hat and climbed into his truck.
He’d be back, all right.
His world stood there, after all. Just watching him drive away.