Page 15 of Rascal

“How about you give me a tattoo, and I’ll do the books later this week?”

Roam walked over closer. “Whatcha thinking, old man? Gonna ink something about this amazing woman you trapped?”

Rascal scowled at Roam’s laughter, but Meg thought it was a little funny how they all gave each other crap.

“I had a couple ideas but was going to let Meg decide. I want it in the open space over my heart. I was thinking either Meg’s Rascal or something along those lines.”

“Remington said she originally wanted a “property” of patch on War’s forehead. I don’t want to go that far but I like the idea of Property of Meg over your heart or Meg’s Rascal. I’m good with whatever you like better,” Meg replied.

Rascal handed the piece of paper with his drawing to Roam. Roam glanced at it. Rascal had drawn a motorcycle with a woman and man, who resembled them with the words Meg’s Rascal over it.

“I like it, but what if we did this?” Roam asked as he sketched around the motorcycle, adding a paratrooper and his open chute right above the woman’s head, and then changed the words to Property of Meg.

“Meg, what do you think?” Rascal asked, not rushing her.

“I like it with the additions and the Property of Meg. Could you do the same design on me, only change it to Property of Rascal?”

“Nope, not happening. The only person touching your virgin skin to add ink is me. I’d hate to have to break Roam’s hands for touching my woman.”

Meg chuckled and shook her head at her caveman. “Okay, how about once we’ve finished at the college this week, you can schedule me in for you to ink my virgin skin?”

Rascal shuddered at her words.

“Hey, none of that. Let’s get this done.”

Meg kept her eyes on Roam and all the things he did. He prepped the area then situated the transfer, having Rascal okay that he approved of the tilt of the motorcycle. Then it was watching Roam tattoo her name into her man.

She could see why Rascal had problems with his lower back and shoulders, the way Roam was hunched over Rascal. They took a couple breaks before Roam got the outline done.

“Let me know when you want the coloring done. I can fit you in.”

Rascal nodded as Roam covered it with some kind of clear wrap.

“It will be later. As soon as we check with some of the guys, we’ll know if we’re heading to her house tomorrow or the next day. Meg wants her stuff, and I don’t trust her former boss to not do something with how his texts were sounding.”

Roam nodded and pulled off his gloves. “Has he texted anymore?”

“Sarah and Scoop let us know that it was more of the same last night, but it doesn’t sound like he was coming to Bluff Creek.”

“Well, let me know if I can do anything to help you.”

Meg nodded at Roam and thanked him. Everyone had pulled her into the family immediately because she was Rascal’s and that made her theirs too. She wanted to get this stuff with her former boss done because she wanted a clean slate to start her life with Rascal. She had grandkids to get to know and to figure out what was next. She considered writing a book or two on American History. She now had time, and she was positive Rascal would support whatever she wanted to do. She’d also noticed that there was a community college in Dodge City she might check into about being an adjunct professor.

Chapter Ten

Meg sipped her coffee and used the phone they’d given her to text everyone. They were supposed to be meeting for breakfast then leaving for her house, but Rascal was in pain this morning. He’d groaned when the alarm went off. When she’d started asking questions, the exasperating man had said he hadn’t been doing his morning or evening stretches since they’d met. He also had skipped the heat he usually used on his back each morning because he hadn’t wanted to appear weak in front of her.

Meg: Rascal’s in pain this morning. He used the heat pad and took some pain meds and is now in a hot shower. We need to delay by at least thirty minutes.

Bear: Let’s delay by an hour. That will give him time to do his stretches. He also has heated back packs he can wear under his clothes that he’ll probably ignore. He doesn’t want you to see him as old.

War: We can delay a day if needed. We can shuffle whatever.

Regina: I’ll have one of the guys deliver breakfast so you can eat before you get on the road.

Remi: We’ll take care of loading everything and hooking up the trailer. If he needs to lie down on the drive, War could drive his truck and trailer and you could drive the SUV.

Beth: Tell him I refilled and picked up his muscle relaxers last week. He’d run out. They are in his cabinet.

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