Page 356 of On A Manhunt: Complete Series

MAC

Georgia stood and stared. I stared right back.

Besides naked, I hadn’t seen her in anything but thick winter clothes. Now she was in a pretty sundress. Her shoulders were bare and it had pretty flowers all over it. Her hair was in the usual lush curls past her shoulders and her lips were shiny as fuck.

She looked beautiful.

And stunned.

Andy ran to her and wrapped her in a hug.

He wore the crown she made him, although the foil was ripped in a spot and one of the points was bent down.

The two short flights to and from Disney in California were nothing in comparison to the trip to Georgia, but I sure as hell appreciated the James Corp jet.

Holy fuck, was that handy.

She squatted down and hugged him right back. Good and fierce.

“Miss GG, you’re gonna be my new mom! I told you!”

The woman who’d answered the door–clearly Georgia’s mother–gasped. “Georgia Lee Gantry, please introduce us to your friends.”

Georgia stood and looked down at Andy with a smile. This wasn’t one of those pageant fake jobs, but a real one. Now that I was onto her, it was really fucking obvious. She was really glad to see Andy. Me? I wasn’t so sure. Not yet.

“Momma, this is Andrew MacKenzie and his son, Andy. Mac, this is my mother, June, my sister, Sassy, and my good friend, Keely. Over in the sprinkler are my niece and nephew and Keely’s three sons.”

“Sprinkler?” Andy asked, whipping around so fast I’d have a crick in my neck. “Can I play?”

Keely stood and went to Andy. “You sure can!” she said with a thick southern accent. “Just go right over there and leave those shoes and socks. You can take off your shirt, too. We’re fixin’ to have some dessert soon, but y’all keep right on playing.”

Andy dashed over to where Keely pointed, a patio chair with a pile of towels and stripped down to his shorts, carefully setting his crown down. Off he ran to the sprinklers where the kids made swift introductions and were running and playing like best friends in all of five seconds.

Keely went to stand beside Georgia. She was still staring at me. “Is this the guy?” she asked, her voice low, but not low enough.

Georgia nodded.

“Well, I’ll be dipped and rolled in cracker crumbs,” Keely murmured.

That was a phrase I’d never heard before. Georgia had tossed a y’all out there a time or two, but she didn’t have the strong accent or phrases like her best friend.

“Yeah, G, what’s going on?” Sassy asked. Now I could see why Georgia thought she was inferior to her older sister.

The woman was insanely pretty. Every hair was in place. Every long curl was perfect. I’d never seen eyebrows arched like two perfect rainbows. I didn’t see a pore on her face. Her pink and green outfit was blinding, but a dead man couldn’t miss how skinny she was. She looked like… a mannequin.

“What is this about the little boy saying you’re his new mom?” June asked, clearly flustered. I probably couldn’t blame her. Andy was the least subtle person in the world.

“Ma’am, I’m from Hunter Valley and I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know your daughter.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of Georgia.

I could have sworn Keely say the pleasure’s G’s, but she covered it with a cough.

Keely came over to me, not Georgia. “Mac, you must sit. You’ve come a long way and we want to hear all about you, so don’t leave anything out.”

“I thought I might talk to Georgia alone.”

Keely shook her head. “Nope, not happening.”

I let Keely lead me to a chair, thankfully right beside Georgia. We were only a foot apart. I looked to her. She looked to me.

“Hi,” I whispered.

“Sit,” Keely said, practically kicking me behind the knees so I would drop into the chair.

Georgia settled beside me.

While the kids screamed and played in the sprinkler, the grilling from three southern women began. But all I had interest in was the fourth.