“It isn’t a relationship. It’s only sex—”
Meggie heaved in a breath. “I want to see your portfolio.”
“I-I don’t have one,” Kaia confessed, explaining he’d thrown his drawings away when he moved to his own place.
“Find some drawing paper and sketch something. Whatever comes to mind.”
His head hung, Kaia loped to his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and several pencils, then sat in his chair and got to work.
“All done, Meggie,” he announced, a few minutes later, interrupting her pacing.
She wiggled her fingers. “Bring it to me.”
Guiltily, she was expecting stick figures and crooked houses. After all, he’d compared his drawing to his poetry, but he drew Rebel sitting at her daddy’s table with the clubhouse in the foreground. The background was the archway with the grim reaper on the wall beyond in fine detail. It was just a rough sketch because of his limited time, but he couldactuallydraw.
“This is brilliant,” Meggie said in awe.
Maybe, Kaia had finally found a calling.
After a delicious meal of squash and crab bisque, strawberry and romaine salad with walnut vinaigrette, butter pepper salmon topped with blueberry sauce, fingerling potatoes, and apple tart as dessert, Diesel, Jana, Uncle Christopher, and Aunt Meggie sat in the living room with Amy and Sue Reynolds.
The living room was rarely used, a dividing line between family and friends or special guests. This was the one room in the entire mansion that rivaled the Donovan décor. The fireplace was a masterpiece with luxurious drapery and a coffered ceiling.
Conversation buzzed around him. He kept a dutiful arm around Jana, feeling alittle stifled by how she leaned against him and barely moved when he tried to adjust for a more comfortable position.
When Aunt Meggie picked up Gunner and excused herself after the family meeting, Uncle Christopher went behind her, leaving Diesel with Jana and the boys.
Axel engaged Jana in conversation which drew Ryder and Ransom in, but Diesel could only think about Rebel and all that he’d said. He wanted what he’d said about Jana to be true. Yet, once he spoke them and Rebel didn’t react, Diesel felt even more uneasy.
It relieved him when Uncle Christopher and Aunt Meggie returned and began discussing the details, although Diesel tuned in out of that conversation too.
Jana tugged on Diesel’s sleeve. “Our wedding date has changed, hasn’t it?”
Fighting to feel excitement, Diesel nodded. “July of next year.”
“Next summer?” Amy demanded on a gasp. “I’d never have enough time or money.”
Diesel narrowed his eyes. “You should have enough of both.” He’d just made a second deposit into the account. “As a matter of fact, the venue, the caterers, the food, fuck,everythingshould have deposits.”
“You and Jana never set a date,” Amy argued. “How could I make a deposit for anything?”
“Did no one discuss a date in the beginning?” Aunt Meggie asked. “I understand why that willbe amended, but initially, plans should’ve been discussed.”
“I-I thought we did, Mama,” Jana said, then looked at Sue. “Weren’t you there, Dad? I found a pretty gown—”
“It’s white,” Amy said briskly. “Definitely not a color you can wear, which I told you.”
“Excuse you, this isn’t your fucking wedding,” Diesel said. “It’s Jana’s. If she wants to dress in a giraffe costume, I expect you to find that motherfucker for her.”
“It’s okay, babe,” Jana said quietly. “Mama did tell me and I-I forgot. I thought I picked out another one.”
“Your brain is fried, Jana. Of course you don’t remember the truth. You didn’t pick out anything,” Amy said with self- righteous indignation.
“Oh,” Jana whispered.
“How fuckin’ much you been depositin’ in the weddin’ account, Diesel?” Uncle Christopher asked.
Too fucking much.
