Dustin picked up his beer bottle that had fallen to the floor. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop. Do you know her name? I can check her for you.”
“I don’t know her real name. Her online name is Kentukygirl.”
“Sounds like a twelve-year-old made it up.”
“Are you saying I’m a pervert?” Greer started to go for Dustin again, but Tate stepped between them.
Holly finished her beer, wondering if it would be too embarrassing if she took another one. Then she debated on getting the new bottle of wine out of the kitchen cabinet when Tate, Sutton, and Greer took the remaining ones.
“He’s not saying that.” Tate sent Dustin a warning look as they all sat back down. “You have to admit, though, we never expected you to be on a dating site.”
“Why?” Greer asked belligerently.
“Because you made fun of them when Dustin signed up for one.”
“That’s because he signed up for one where millionaires hook up. He ain’t no millionaire. It was false advertising.”
Dustin blushed. “I will be.”
“Well, you sure as hell aren’t now,” Greer sneered. “Unless you’re holding out.”
“I’m not holding out. I make good money now, and Willa wrote me into her will.”
“She sick?”
“No.” Dustin’s blush deepened.
“Then it doesn’t count for shit. At least I’m being honest.”
“That’ll be a first.”
“Kentuckygirl knows what she’ll get if I choose her. I haven’t lied about a damn thing.”
“Did you say you’ve been messaging her for a few months?” When Greer nodded, Dustin continued egging the brewing fight on. “There is no way you’ve shown your true self and she’s still talking to you.”
“Either that or she’s desperate.” Cash snickered, lifting Ema higher.
“She isn’t desperate. She just knows the real thing when she hears it.”
“How can it be real? It’s on the Internet.” Rachel took Ema from Cash, giving him a dirty look.
“It just is.”
“You don’t even know what she looks like,” Dustin pointed out.
“Don’t care.” Greer shrugged. “I’m going to ask her to come for a visit, but I need to go out with Jo so I can compare.”
Rachel hit her head with her hand. “Lord, help me. Tate …”
“Don’t look at me. Greer came up with this idiotic idea himself.”
“It’s not stupid. I want to get married and have a bunch of kids; what’s wrong with that?”
Holly stared at Greer as he talked, seeing the honesty on his face. He was opening himself to the others, knowing they wouldn’t sugarcoat their reactions.
“Men can have kids when they’re older. It’s not like you’re on a timetable.” Rachel also realized how serious he was.
“But will I be physically able to do things with them when I’m older? I don’t want to have kids when I have one foot in the grave. I want to see them grown. I want to be a part of my grandkids’ lives. Dad and Mom never got to see Logan or Ema. An accident took them out. But Dad hadn’t gone hunting the last year before he died; said his knees were getting too bad.”
The sadness on his face had Holly wanting to sympathize with him. Then the part of Greer that he couldn’t hide showed again.
“I want at least four or five kids. Unless I start now, I’ll need a pill to get it up for the last one.”
“Don’t be gross!” Rachel snapped.
“I’m just saying …”
“Let’s get back on track,” Tate interrupted. “Let’s look at this logically.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do. You all are the ones who keep sidetracking me.”
“Then let’s get back on track, or we’ll be here all night. You know our opinion on Diane.”
The entire room nodded in agreement at Tate’s words, except Greer.
“That leaves the other two. Rachel, you talk to Jo and feel out if she would be willing to go out with Greer.”
“You want me to be the one to talk her into going out with him?” Rachel’s hair practically stood on end.
“You want him married to Diane?”
“I’ll call her tonight.”
“Good. Greer, ask the Kentuckygirl to come for a visit and see what she says. If she doesn’t want to come, there won’t be anything else to talk about. You can’t marry over the Internet. She’ll have to show her face if she wants a ring on her finger.”
“I haven’t told her I want to marry her yet. I have to see if she can cook before I pick.”
“You don’t care what she looks like, but you care if she cooks?”
“Hell, yeah! A woman cooks with her soul. Any fool can smear makeup on to look good.”
It took every ounce of strength Holly possessed not to ask the burning question she wanted to ask. Thankfully, Rachel didn’t have any compunction.
“Diane cooks? I didn’t think she could boil water. She never volunteers to bring a damn thing when she goes to the potluck at church.”
“She’s doesn’t, but that’s only one of my requirements. The other one is more important, and before you ask what it is, I wouldn’t if I were you. If me talking about taking a pill to get it up when I’m old grosses you out, then you won’t want to hear that a good pair of tits and a fine ass are on my list.