“I’mnotliving the rest of my life under your roof, Daddy. You’d either never let me get married or you’d set me up to meet a man of your choice. No.”
Meggie stiffened and sniffed, on the verge of telling Christopher or Diesel to cut Fia’s tongue out even if they didn’t kill her.
“If you want the treehouse, love, it’s yours,” Meggie said calmly, hoping her baby girl changed her mind when she put things into perspective.
“Thank you, Momma,” Rebel said morosely.
Meggie nodded. “Anyone else has any objections?”
Clearing her throat, Jana raised her hand.
“Yes, sweetheart?” Meggie asked.
“Could I stay with Diesel if he lived in the suite?”
“As his wife, I’d expect you to live wherever he’s at,” Meggie responded. “Would you have a preference, Jana?”
“Wherever Diesel wants to live is fine by me,” Jana said. “I don’t have a right to disagree.”
“Do you have a motherfuckin’ right to fuckin’ breathe without this motherfucker’s permission?” Christopher snapped.
Meggie smiled at Jana and patted the place next to her on the sofa. “Come on, love,” sheencouraged when Jana didn’t move. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Sniffling, Jana got up and sat next to Meggie. Immediately, Meggie urged Jana’s head on her shoulder and hugged her while she cried.
“Feel better, Jana?” Meggie asked several minutes later when Jana’s sobs subsided.
“A little.”
Meggie stroked Jana’s hair. “My mother was abused,” she said softly. “It destroyed her.”
“Diesel doesn’t abuse me,” she sniffled. “He’s the kindest, most loving, honorable man I know.”
“Where the fuck you been livin’?” Christopher asked. “In outer fuckin’ space? Diesel a lot of fuckin’ things, but kind and lovin’ not it, Jana.”
“He is to Axel,” Meggie said with a straight face. It wasn’t that it wasn’t true. She just couldn’t get over the conviction which Jana said that about Diesel. “It’s possible he is to you, too.”
“He is, Meggie,” Jana told her.
“Why don’t you call me ‘Aunt Meggie’? I think we’ve all had a chance to acclimate ourselves to your presence and your role in Diesel’s life.”
Jana’s eyes widened. “Truly?”
“Yes, sweetheart. But it’s whatyouwant.”
“Thank you, Aunt Meggie.”
Meggie smiled. “When I was younger, I dreamed of becoming a meteorologist. Mama forced me to focus on a professionbecause what Ireallywanted to be was a housewife.” She cocked her head to the side. “What did you want to be as a child?”
“A nurse,” Jana said without hesitation.
“Your Aunt Zoann was an RN,” Meggie confided, glad Diesel wasn’t interrupting and breaking the tenuous connection. “She’s an NP now. Nurse Practitioner. We have a home healthcare business. I take care of the administrative side.”
“That sounds amazing,” Jana said.
“Would you like to be my office assistant? We work here, so we won’t be going off premises, but it’ll give you something to do and your own money.”
“I don’t—” Jana swallowed and more tears filled her eyes. “Um—”
