She stopped speaking and stopped moving when she was onestep into the living room, her face going pale as she stared at his family.
But Dutch’s vision was blurry, his head was fuzzed, and hispalms were itching when he turned her way and barked, “What?”
She jolted and looked to him, whispering, “What, what,baby?”
He prowled to her, asking, “What’d that Jackson guy do?”
“Uh,” she mumbled, eyes huge in her face and aimed up at himas he stopped in front of her.“Your family is here.”
“What’d he do that you’re here barely an hour after I leftyou?”he demanded.
“Can we just say he wasn’t a gentleman?”she tried.
“No,” he bit.
She put her hand to his sternum, leaned in and said, “Yourfamily is here, honey, like,right here.”
“Um, hello there.I’m Dutch’s mother, Keely.And who mightyou be?”his ma said close to his left side.
“Jesus, Georgiana, what’re youdoin’here?”Jagger asked from close to his right.
“Everyone out,” Hound ordered at his back.
That was Hound, always at his back.
Definitely literally, and now figuratively.
“Not on your goddamned life, cowboy,” his mother decreed.
Shit.
“I’m thinking there are other good reasons I wore this dresstonight,” Georgie muttered.
He wanted to think she was funny.
He was not finding anything funny.
“You okay?”he asked her.
“He just made a pass.I deflected.Took off.But, uh…” Hereyes went side to side, before she finished, “my mission was not accomplished.”
“Hound, my love, my husband, father of one of my sons, dadto all, do you know how interesting I find all this?”his mother called, eventhough Hound was probably three inches away from her.
“Baby,” Hound grunted like he was trying not to laugh.
“Veryinteresting,” his mother answered herself.
“Hi.”Georgiana jumped forward, extending her hand towardKeely.“I’m Georgiana Traylor.And Dutch and I are, um…we’re, uh…”
Dutch shifted, slung an arm around her shoulders, and said,“It’s Georgie’s cat, Ma.”
“I see,” Keely said, lifting a hand and taking Georgie’s.“Nice to meet you, Georgiana.”
“She’s Carolyn’s sister,” Jagger shared when Keely let hergo.
“Is she now?”Keely asked, her eyes narrowing.
And it was the first time Dutch had any indication hismother had Carolyn’s number.
