Chapter 19b Mattie
After packing all her new clothes in a new suitcase, Kendall made her way to the breakfast room, where the saving grace in the black and white scheme was the bank of windows with a magnificent tree-lined view and emerald-green grass. The vista screamed Southern California.
Biscuits, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, summer sausage, and pancakes were already laid out on the sideboard, next to carafes of coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Kendall swiped a biscuit and bit into it, smiling at the warm flakiness and searching for butter. She was just about to head to the kitchen when Meggie walked in.
Frowning at how drawn and pale she looked, Kendall finished chewing. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“I’m leaving with everyone else,” she said crisply, although the crease in her brow and tight lips revealed how upset she was. “I have no reason to stay here.”
“To see Rule,” Kendall reminded her.
“No,” Meggie said bitterly. “Father Wilkins won’t let me. I don’t deserve to see him.”
Biting her lip to remain silent, Kendall nodded, then held up her biscuit. “I need butter. Whoever prepared breakfast forgot to put it out.”
“It’s Bailey’s staff. I told Roxy to call them in. Even if I’d stayed, Rebel and I were checking into a hotel in Beverly Hills.”
“Does Rebel know you’ve changed your mind?”
“Not yet.”
“I think you two need this time alone. Mother/daughter bonding.”
Meggie sighed. Shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. Besides, I feel betrayed all over again. I’m angry and hurt and betrayed. Returning home right now won’t do anyone any good.”
“So you’ll stay?”
“I guess.”
Kendall gave Meggie a quick hug, then shooed her to a chair. “I’ll be back, darling,” she said brightly.
“I’ll be here.”
The moment Kendall left the dining room, she stormed to the kitchen long enough to slam the biscuit in the trashcan, then continued upstairs to her bedroom, slammed the door shut and dug her tablet out of her suitcase. Since she was returning home, turning it on wouldn’t make a difference.
After logging in and checking her email, it pleased her to see she’d received the requested files. She opened the one with the most recent date and read it carefully.
“Motherfucker,” she said, her anger surging again.
Logging off and setting the tablet aside, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed the priest’s number. Of course, it went to voicemail, so she sent a text.
This is Kendall. Return my call or answer me. Your choice, but I suggest you don’t ignore me.
Her phone rang almost immediately after she pressed send.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” she answered in greeting.
“I take it Mrs. Caldwell has complained to you about my decision?”
“Rule is Meggie’s son.”
“Tsk, tsk. You, as a mentally ill patient, disappoints me.”
Kendall bristled. “What?”
“You heard me. I understand medications for the mentally challenged can affect memory, cause confusion, perhaps even alter moods for the worse, but you should show more empathy for your young nephew. Never your strong suit, I realize, so I’m probably wasting my breath.”
Counting to three didn’t help her rage. Counting to three hundred probably wouldn’t do the trick either, so she let him rant, extol his own virtues while casting aspersions on her own.
“No response?” he said smugly. “Not too quick on the uptake when someone so rudely confronts you as you did me when I followed your orders to call you. In case you haven’t realized it, you’re all about what Meggie wants.
You haven’t once asked if seeing her would be healthy for Rule. Or, if, his doctor would allow it.”
“Listen up, motherfucker,” Kendall snarled, so fucking livid everything surface in that ugly gray room was red as she imagined the priest’s blood spattered up, down, and all the fuck around. “I know what the fuck is going on because the facility sends reports to me.”
“They cannot! I’m the boy’s guardian.”
“You’re a miserable fucking opportunist,” she spat. “Do you actually fucking think I’d trust you to play by the rules, fucker? A low-down history deserves a motherfucking low-down contingency plan.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Read that fucking contract. I don’t give a fuck what you believe.”
“Does Outlaw know?”
“He sure the fuck doesn’t, asshole. It isn’t my fucking job to hold that motherfucker’s hand.
As an attorney, if I would’ve suggested it, he would’ve told me no.
It wouldn’t have mattered how vigorously I advocated for safeguards.
But as his sister-in-law? As Rule’s aunt?
As Meggie’s friend? You’re fucking with the wrong bitch.
I will see you hung by your motherfucking ears. ”
It had taken her a few days to catch up since she’d had in her mind the facility where Rule jumped out the window. Once she discovered Rule’s new location, she double-checked her wording and found she was safe to demand updates wherever Rule went as long as she knew his location.
When Meggie came to her office and Kendall told her to stay away from Rule, she hadn’t had a chance to read the files she’d demanded before her sister-in-law’s arrival.
Her brief scan before she called Father Wilkins provided the tools she needed to fight on Meggie’s behalf, but the little fuckhead was a fuckhead.
She didn’t want to tell Meggie to go to the facility and then the priest caused a scene to have his fucking way.
Rule might lay the blame at Meggie’s feet again.
When she returned to Hortensia, she’d go to Meggie’s husband and order him to put the priest in his fucking place.
Or bury that motherfucker in as many graves as possible.
Father Wilkins cleared his throat. “Outlaw—”
“Will fucking kill you if he finds out you’ve blocked Meggie from any information about her child.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Tell him? Do you know who the fuck you’re talking to, motherfucker? Try me.”
“I’ll make arrangements for her to see him soon—”
“No, you’re making arrangements—”
“Outlaw is calling right now.” The little fuckhead sounded so fucking smug. At the moment, Kendall couldn’t do anything. “I’ll call you back.”
“I’ll hold. Tell him you’re on another call.”
The priest huffed and switched over. Kendall expected to remain on hold for ten or fifteen minutes. Father Wilkins was petty enough to prolong a conversation with a man he’d never gotten along with.
“Mrs. Donovan?” Father Wilkins said two minutes later. “Are you still there?”
“I told you I would be, so listen—”
“Meggie can visit whenever she wishes.” He gulped. “Please tell her there’s been a grave misunderstanding…”
“You told Outlaw that Meggie called?”
“I didn’t know of the troubles they are having,” he rambled. “Axel called Diesel earlier and Meggie spoke to him. She revealed our misunderstanding and…and…c-can a butane tank f-fit up a person’s bottom?”
“That’s fucking creative,” Kendall said dryly. “He threatened to shove a tank up your ass and blow it up?”
“Among other things. C-can you ask Meggie to talk to him?”
“Not at all. Suffer, motherfucker,” she said, and ended the fucking call, happy with the results, even if she hadn’t facilitated them.
“Wed Widing Hood, Ax.”
Hiding a smile at her little brother’s request, Mattie poured more sunscreen into her hands and rubbed it onto Axel’s back.
“Riding Hood, Riding Hood, Riding Hood,” Gunner chanted, almost drowning out Blade.
“You missed a spot, Matt,” Axel announced, then shook his head at Gunner and Blade. “No. A bunch of miserable fuckheads ruined my favorite fairytale. I can’t never read it again. I can’t never hear it again neither.”
Axel sat on the side of one of the chaise lounges near the outside pool with Mattie standing directly behind him and the two little boys in front of him.
“More sunscreen, Mattie,” Axel ordered impatiently.
Mattie frowned. “Your back isn’t big enough for anymore. You already have three layers.”
Before he responded, Harley walked outside, holding Winnie’s hand and carrying a tall glass with a frozen red drink.
“It’s about time,” Axel declared. “I’ve been waiting forever.”
Winnie giggled and slid next to Axel, laying her head on his shoulder as he accepted the drink from Harley.
“What’s in there?” Mattie asked suspiciously.
“It’s a virgin daiquiri,” Harley said. “I have ours inside. I just wanted to bring Axel’s his first.”
Lifting her head, Winnie nodded. “Yeah. The man of the house always has to be served first.”
“Exactly,” Harley agreed, turned and walked away.
She wore long jeans and a long-sleeved sweater. The rest of them were in swimwear. The way she kept herself covered struck Mattie as odd. However, she no longer felt comfortable enough talking to her. Maybe, when she got home, she’d talk to CJ or Ryan. Both?
“You’re so cool, Axel,” Winnie gushed, breaking into Mattie’s thoughts.
Axel smiled. “Like Diesel?”
“You want to be like Diesel?” Mattie asked skeptically, wiping the remaining sunscreen onto her own arms. “That’s…that’s a goal.”
“Diesel’s so cool,” the little boy gushed.
Mattie decided to keep her opinion to herself.
Diesel definitely was handsome with his dark hair, gray eyes, and movie star good looks.
She understood why Rebel had a crush on him.
But Mattie couldn’t see her cousin with him.
A man like Diesel was rumored to be would extinguish all of Rebel’s light and joy.
He was heartless with a very bloody reputation.
As for Axel, he was a bright kid who deserved a better future than following in Diesel’s footsteps.
“My shoulders are hurting so bad, Matt,” Axel complained, sucking up more of his daiquiri as Harley returned with a tray containing five more glasses. “Can you give me a massage?”
“I got a idea,” Winnie crowed, her brown eyes lighting up. “We can all rub Ax.” She pointed to herself. “I can rub his feet. Harley, you can rub his arms while Mattie does his shoulders. Mama rubs Dad’s head sometimes.” She looked at Axel. “Do you want your head rubbed?”
Axel snapped his brows together. “Like Uncle Cash?”
“Uh huh,” Winnie responded brightly. “He likes them. He says there’s nothing like a man having his heads rubbed.”
Oh. Well. Mattie was certain Uncle Cash and Aunt Ophelia didn’t intend for Winnie to hear that conversation.
“I just don’t know where he put his other head.”
“Oh,” Harley said while Mattie clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming with laughter. That was wrong of her, but the situation was funny.
Apparently not to Axel, though. He scowled. “If I say your dad is a mean motherfucker would you cry again, Winnie?”
“No!” Mattie inserted quickly. Her little cousin had a pair of lungs on her. She cried at the drop of a hat, too. “Because you aren’t saying that. Right, Ax?”
Sipping his drink, he eyed her. “My shoulders are still hurting really bad.”
“I like Winnie’s idea,” Harley inserted. “I mean the man of the house has to be rewarded for taking care of us.”
“What do you want me to rub?” Winnie asked.
“My feet,” Axel answered without hesitation. “Harley, you can rub my arms. Mattie, you do my back.” He looked at his little brother. “Gunner, you bring Blade back inside. Instead of reading, I’ll teach you how to fight. I promise I won’t drop kick you or Blade too hard.”
“No!” Mattie and Harley chorused.
It alarmed Mattie that Axel intended to drop kick the little boys at all.
“Come on,” she said, walking around to where Gunner and Blade stood. She took each of their hands and guided them to one of the umbrella tables. “Sit and enjoy your daiquiris. As soon as one of the adults come out, we’ll get in the pool.”
Twenty minutes later, Mattie was certain Axel was basking in their attention as he kicked back on the chaise lounge, eyes closed, and sipping his drink.
Winnie giggled every time Axel wiggled his toes or talked to her, while Mattie took the time to study Harley and wondered at her haunted eyes.
The patio door opened and Rebel stuck her head out, saw Harley, and jerked herself back inside.
Seeing Harley’s disappointment, Mattie turned toward the door. “I’ll talk to her.”
Something that proved to be an exercise in futility. By the time the cars arrived to whisk everyone except Aunt Meggie and Rebel to the airport, Mattie was no closer to having Rebel see that something was wrong with Harley than before.