Page 144 of Relentles
Bunny opened the door and walked into the room. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Shadows and sadness plagued her gaze.
“Sorry, I just had a chance to get away from Gunner and Cove.”
“It’s okay. I have one more phone call, then I’m going upstairs. I should’ve texted that my question wasn’t pressing.”
It was important, not urgent.
“Girl talk and advice, so if you need to get back to the boys, my question can wait.”
Bunny closed the door and rolled the other office chair from Ophelia’s desk across the floor next to Meggie’s. “What’s up?”
The conversation was so much easier in her head. Already, heat rose to her cheeks, a reaction she didn’t like.
“Megan Caldwell!” Bunny’s eyes twinkled. “Are we about to trade sex secrets?”
“Not today,” Meggie said with a weak smile. “Christopher and I have only made love once since Jo’s birth.”
New Year’s Eve. When he’d agreed to her demands about Torie’s check, then made no move to do as she asked. He might argue the holidays prevented him, but Christopher had the power to get things done any day of the year, no matter what else might be going on. Heespeciallyhad the means to have someone contact Torie and demand she return the check.
Bunny grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Are you okay, babe?”
“Lately, I’ve just felt as if I’m falling apart.”
“I get it. The Season of Joy has been a season of nightmares,” she said quietly.
“Yeah. We’ve been going round and round over the same things.”
“Mark and me, too,” Bunny confessed, releasing Meggie’s hand and staring out the window in front of them. “Cove is four. I think I’ve come down with baby fever. My husband is having none of it.”
She had yet to share with Bunny the recording Johnnie played for her. Though Christopher knew, the conversation he had with Johnnie still plagued her. It validated all of Johnnie’s other words to her.
Each time she thought about asking Christopher, she either convinced herself she didn’t have the need to or decided she was afraid of the answer.
Before the bank manager called her, an idea for a romantic after party for just her and Christopher came to her, so she texted Bunny. After the call, she’d forgotten her intentions.
“Outlaw loves you, Meggie,” Bunny said into the silence. “I don’t know who sent the texts, but they did it to hurt you.”
Her guess was Johnnie. He hated her. “I know.”
“Mark said Outlaw is furious with Brooks.”
“She always gets him to talk,” Meggie said with a smile.
Kendall merely told her Christopher contracted Torie to care for Molly. She thought the amount was exorbitant, but since Molly needed extensive treatment, the extra money was a nice incentive. Once the clips flooded her phone, Meggie learned a salary went along with that one-time fee.
No Molly. No salary.
Christopher, Mortician, Johnnie, Val, Cash, Stretch, Digger, Diesel, CJ, and Brooks worked to get Torie specialized training to care for Molly, had gotten her son enrolled in a school, andfound an apartment for her near Molly’s mental health facility. She was required to pay her own rent.
It had just been a lot. Above and beyond for a mere caregiver.
“If Kendall hadn’t discovered the contract, I never would have known about any of it.”
As they dressed for the New Year’s Eve party, Christopher explained he’d sincerely only meant to help Molly and Torie’s son, nother.
He never lied to her. He’d also told her about what he’d endured during his childhood at the hands of his grandparents. She was convinced her father’s appearance in Christopher’s life saved him. She understood his need to help. She’d want to help too. Knox and Roxy would’ve footed the bill for Molly’s medical and psychiatric care, so it made sense that Christopher wanted to help in some way because CJ viewed Molly as his friend. It just bothered her that Christopher hadn’t talked to her beforehand.
“No one thought to tell me about what they were doing for Torie. Not even CJ.”
