Page 242 of Restless
“You meant every motherfucking goddamn word your bitchy ass said to Meggie and me.” Roxy’s voice was farther down the hall. “You’ve been on the warpath because Harley can’t see the fucking forest for the fucking trees. She wants to beyou. And you want to be any fucking bodybutyou. Two more miserable bitches I’ve never fucking seen.”
“Momma, you’re cussing a child. For that matter, you’re cussingyourchild.”
“My child is lucky I don’t fuck her up. My child called another woman’schildeverything but a child of God. Stop being a fucking hypocrite. It’s as unbecoming as your bitchiness even if it fits.”
“Momma, please, help me. I’m losing my husband. I love him so much. I just wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted to earn my own money.”
Roxy stomped back into the room. Molly was awake but she was staring into space. After closing the door, Bailey stumbled to Roxy and hugged her.
“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. Everything is spiraling out of control and I don’t know how to stop it.”
“First, get control of Harley. Whether you’re on her side or not, she’s dividing and conquering you and Mortician. In turn, it reveals the cracks in your relationship.”
“I just want to support her. CJ has crushed—”
Meggie stiffened. “Please, leave my son’s name out of your mouth. He isn’t here to defend himself, and I’m never talking to you again.”
Turning away from her mother, who hadn’t returned her hug, Bailey came to Meggie. “I’m so, so sorry. It was unworthy of me.”
“It was fucked up,” Roxy snapped.
Bailey nodded. “If I’m honest, I’m sorry I ever took my practice out of Hortensia. I had clients willing to travel to see me.”
“You also had clients who couldn’t see you in Portland because they had no transportation. Not only because of transportation but the insurance you don’t accept and your increased fees.” Meggie reminded her. “Zoann, Kendall, and me had to pool our resources to help people you left high and dry.” It hadn’t been the first time that their home healthcare business came in handy for referrals and other medical needs.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Meggie?” Bailey shifted her weight. “Lucas trusts you a lot, so what did he say when I made the move?”
“How proud he was of you,” Meggie said honestly. “How much he loved you. How lucky he was to have you as his wife and the mother of his children.”
“Have I ruined that?”
“Do you care?” Meggie retorted.
“I’m sorry for what I said about CJ,” Bailey said again.
“Girl, shove your apology up your ass,” Roxy snapped. “How many fucking times have you apologized to me in the past few weeks? They don’t mean shit. You slide back into bitchery.”
“Meggie,please. I swear I’m sorry. I’ll do anything to prove it.”
“If you ever call my sononename again, I’ll never talk to you from that day on. But if you’re really sorry and want me to tell you more than a ‘hello’, help Molly. Harley doesn’t have to know. We’ll find a way to help her through whatever she’s dealing with. Molly has no one, though. Her mother’s dead. Her father’s missing. She was assaulted. She needs us, too, Bailey.”
“Do you think Molly should move in with us? She can stay in Diesel’s room.”
Meggie considered CJ’s words and studied him closely. “Do you want her to live with us?”
“I don’t want Harley to be mean to her.”
“Would Roxy allow that?”
CJ glanced away. “I don’t know. If Ryan wasn’t such a fucking dickhead, I’d ask you to talk to Aunt Zoann, but Molly deserves better than him.”
Meggie smiled at her son’s fierceness. “Let me know what you think is best for her, and I’ll see that it gets done, potato.”
“Do you think…do you think…a guy can be friends with a girl?”
“Most definitely. Mortician is your daddy’s best friend, but he’s also one of my closest friends. Kendall considers him a close friend. At one time, I considered Johnnie a dear friend. Val and I have had our ups and downs, but we’re good friends again now, too.”
“What happened between you and Uncle Johnnie?”
