“You know how to cook, CJ.”
He grinned at her. “They don’t want my subpar cooking, though. They want the best.”
Meggie laughed and shook her head. “I’ll be there, potato. I promise.” Not waiting for CJ’s response, she closed the door and returned to Rebel. She knew what she had to do. “Pack, sweetheart. You and I are going to LA.”
Rebel straightened. “Really?”
“We’ll see Rule tomorrow and I’ll take you back to Rodeo Drive to shop Tuesday. In between, you and I can have some mother/daughter time.”
Tears brightened Rebel’s eyes. “Are you sure, Momma? You don’t have to leave on my account.”
“I most certainly do. We can unpack everything together without all the interruptions.”
Rebel got to her feet. “Okay. Thank you so much.” She hesitated, a rare occurrence for her.
“What, love?” Meggie prompted.
“I think we should invite Jana. She probably needs a little girl time, too. And we can finally buy her wardrobe since dickhead doesn’t seem inclined to.”
“I’m going away for you, sweetheart. You need me.”
“I do.” She swallowed. “A lot, but I feel so bad for Jana. As much as it annoys me to do so. I wish I could hate her just as I intended.”
“Relationships are complicated,” Meggie told her. “It doesn’t matter what type they are. No one seems to remember feelings are involved even if it doesn’t pertain to romance. If it is that important to you, I’ll invite her. Just remember, my love. She’s grown. You are only on the cusp of adulthood. She made the decision to attach herself to Diesel and his lifestyle. I’m so proud of you for accepting Jana so readily. She calls your daddy ‘Uncle Christopher. Would you have a problem if she calls me ‘Aunt Meggie’?”
“No, Momma.”
“Whether she comes with us, I will talk to her when we return about how she needs to stand up for herself. This trip is foryou.”
“Thank you, Momma. I love you so much, and I’m sorry that I did that stuff on camera to make you ashamed of me.”
“We talked about this already, love,” Meggie said gently. “But I can see how much this is bothering you.”
“I know you’re about to suggest therapy, but I couldn’t talk to anyone about…about…” Her cheeks flushed. “M-masturbating,” she whispered, turning bright red. “I’ve stopped doing that. I won’t ever do it again.”
“Once you open that door, it is hard to close it, sweetheart. You’re young and healthy.”
“I know all the boys think I’m gross.”
“All the boys are idiots. They shouldn’t have seen the videos,” Meggie snapped, then heaved in a breath. “That’s their problem. Not yours. Ryan violated your privacy.”
“I forgave him.Forgivehim.”
Another heave to calm her temper. Meggie couldn’t act immature when her daughter was taking the high road. “So do I, love. Or I’m on the road to it. For your aunt Zoann.”
“Yeah, and I’d started accepting Ryan as my cousin. He was still a dickhead, but kind of cool.”
“I understand.”
“What time are we leaving?”
“Tonight.”
“I told you we needed our own plane. Last minute flights will be a lot of money.”
Meggie smiled. “I’ll worry about logistics. You pack. Not too much. Make sure to bring a few empty suitcases.”
“Okay.”
