As much as Meggie liked the staff, most of whom had been on Mortician’s payroll for years, there was still a dividing line between the family and the workers. Somehow, it still felt impersonal.
Maybe that way was best. If they screwed up, it was easy to fire them. Sipping her chamomile tea as she sat at the breakfast bar, Meggie thought of Christopher again. She’d called him every step of the way. Hopefully, he finally believed she’d leftforRebel, not to hurt him.
Sighing, Meggie pursed her lips and sat the cup onto its matching saucer. Maybe she’d been alittlepeeved at her husband, which made it easier to leave. But it wasn’t until the boys kept interrupting her that she even came up with the idea.
Unfortunately, she’d also expressed her lack of enjoyment at the club. In hindsight, she should’ve kept her mouth shut. Between that and her sudden departure, Christopher was probably thinking about patching out.
Again.
Perhaps, itwastime. Maybe it would even benefit CJ. If he joined under new leadership and ended up as president, he couldn’t be accused of ascending to the top position through fraud and nepotism. Which could get Christopher, CJ, and Diesel out badandkilled. What their daddy cooked up, those two willingly jumped into the pot.
Meggie rolled her eyes. This was all speculation on her part. Neither one of them would tell her they’d rig the elections. Except she knew her husband and she knew her eldest son.
They allowed nothing to stand in the way of what they wanted. She walked a fine line, trying to allow her daughter to have a “normal” life while also appeasing her daddy and her brothers. Unless they had some control, they’d find a way to undermine all Meggie’s attempts to honor Rebel’s wishes. That was why she’dgotten on board with Kaia. It was the path of least resistance. In theory, it should’ve made everyone happy. CJ had vetted him, Christopher grudgingly approved, Diesel Dieseled, and Rebel liked Kaia. What should’ve been a win-win turned into a disaster.
The best laid plans had a tendency to blow up and disintegrate into a pile of lost hope and unattainable dreams. Besides, normalcy was relative. Volumes had been written about raising normal children while leading a normal life be it in a suburban home or a camper in the wilderness.
“Mrs. Caldwell? Uh, M-Meggie?”
At the sound of Kaia’s voice, she stiffened and turned her seat toward the doorway that led into the hallway. He stood just outside the kitchen. “What?”
She’d barely spoken two words to him. Fortunately, Rebel didn’t notice.
“Are you…are you angry with me?”
She glowered at him. This fiasco was her fault. One, she’d gone along with the plan the Three Musketeers and their followers cooked up by putting Kaia in Rebel’s path. Two, she’d hired him to work at the house. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. She just couldn’t remember her reasoningnow.
“D-did I do something wrong?”
“Other than sleep with Fia?” she asked sweetly. “Nope. Nothing at all.”
“I said I didn’t. Remember?”
He could’ve said whatever he wanted to. That didn’t mean she believed him. Meggie narrowed her eyes.
He paled. “I can explain.”
“Nope. I don’t think you can. Furthermore, I don’t want the details.”
“Meggie…Mrs. Caldwell…”
“I didn’t want your death on my conscience,” she said evenly. “I’m certain Diesel would’ve killed you even though he knew what you did.”
“I-I…I’m sorry—”
“I doubt that. You wouldn’t have had sex with that girl again.”
His shoulders slumped. Good. His stupid head should’ve slumped, too, since he had the sense of a flea. “Are you firing me?”
“Maybe.”
“Please let me explain.”
“My patience is thin, Kaia,” she warned. “I’m so over morons that I could scream.”
“Your daughter’s gorgeous. Just like you.”
He’d hit on her months ago.
