Chapter Ten #2
Christopher, Diesel, and CJ walked into the kitchen through the mudroom just as she cracked the last egg in her favorite glass bowl and began whipping it up.
Christopher gave her a moment to pour the mixture into a fry pan. She lowered the fire so she could turn to her husband.
He wrapped his arms around her, then bent and kissed her. “We got to talk after dinner.” His stomach growled. “I’m so fuckin’ hungry, baby.”
“Breakfast for dinner,” she announced, standing on tiptoes so he could kiss her again. “Ready in twenty minutes.”
He released her. “I love you so fuckin’ much.”
It wasn’t a secret, still his words coupled with Axel’s, piqued her curiosity.
“What happened?”
“Do you have enough food for me, Aunt Meggie?” Diesel asked, subdued.
“Always, son.” She nodded to the bruise on his cheek. “What happened?”
“Stupid motherfuckery,” Christopher supplied.
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Club business, I take it.”
“Kinda,” Christopher agreed, “but I’m so fuckin’ sorry those cunts and assfucks took my fuckin’ stupidity and used it against you, Megan.”
“Me too, Aunt Meggie,” Diesel said.
CJ came to her and kissed her cheek. “Me too, Mom. You’re the most important thing in the world to us. We’re just blind sometimes. We don’t mean to make you think your opinion isn’t important.”
“That you aren’t important, Aunt Meggie. We all love and appreciate you so much.”
Meggie laughed through her tears. “I love you all very much too. Christopher, you, CJ, Reb, Rule, the Triplets, Gunner and Jo are my world, Diesel. Never forget that and never doubt that.” She looked at Christopher and CJ. “None of you. I love you all so much.”
“MOM!” Axel raced back into the room. “Oh hey, Dad, C, and Diesel.” He ran to Meggie and grabbed her hand. “Come on, Mom. I made it special for you.”
Meggie dug her heels in and hugged him, then kissed his forehead. “Thank you, son. Whatever it is, I’ll love it.”
Axel wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled at her. His wet, muddy state concerned her. “Okay, cuz carrying those buckets was hard. Ran and Ryder did the lightweight work.”
“What the fuck you talkin’ about, boy?” Christopher demanded.
Pulling away, Axel grabbed Meggie’s hand again and tugged her forward. “You can see, too, Dad. It’s your room, too.”
“What the fuck you lil’ motherfuckers did?”
Megan threw a smile over her shoulder. Hopeful. She couldn’t handle one more conflict tonight. Besides, despite Axel’s messiness, his sweet little face warmed her. “I’m sure it’s fine, Christopher.”
“We did a spa bath for you, Mom,” Axel announced. “With all the ingredients we heard Dad talk about.”
“What?” Meggie asked faintly, no longer concerned at Axel’s breakneck pace the entire walk up the stairs to the third floor. They started down the hall. Christopher, Diesel, and CJ followed her as curious about her present as she was.
At the midway point, the hallway curved and she caught sight of Rebel’s blonde hair fluttering as she went into the bedroom.
Picking up his pace. Christopher pushed ahead of Meggie and Axel. “What the fuck goin’ on?”
“Yeah, Dad,” CJ called, still behind Meggie. “I’m really curious myself.”
“You called Reb, Ax?” Diesel asked, also still bringing up the rear.
“Uh huh,” Axel responded. “To help with stirring Mom’s surprise.”
Walking into her bedroom, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. “What—?”
“Oh my God, you little fuckheads.” Rebel’s screech carried from the bathroom and cut off Meggie’s question. “This is what you needed my help with?”
Heart in her throat, Meggie dropped her hand from Axel’s and ran the rest of the way, skidding to a halt once she reached her destination.
She blinked, made a sound, and covered her mouth with a hand.
Fully clothed, Ryder stood in her whirlpool bathtub, using a shovel to stir whatever ruined the steaming water.
Dirt smeared his hands and smudged his cheeks.
Grass stains marred the white button down shirt he wore as part of his school uniform.
The concoction in her bathtub immersed him up to his knees.
He threw her a wide smile. “Hey, Mom.”
Resting the shovel on the wall—and keeping it in the tub—he splashed to the rim and climbed out, dragging a huge amount of water and revealing his ruined Oxfords.
Meggie squeaked. Christopher gaped. They exchanged shocked expressions.
Ransom sloshed from her closet, his hair plastered to his head.
Her long, expensive cashmere robe stretched impossibly because he’d stuffed himself into it.
He wasn’t overweight, but he was taller and heavier than her.
Pine needles stuck to one of his cheeks and his forehead.
He carried another cashmere robe, a short winter one, misshapen, damp, and dirty .
“We’ll wait outside while you take your spa bath, Mom,” Ransom said.
He threw the robe he held at her, but Christopher stretched out his hand and caught it.
“We made the water hot enough to dissolve the mud and yogurt once we started stirring it hard enough.” He pointed to the bathtub. “What do you think?”
Axel tugged on her sleeve. Shell-shocked, she looked at him. He held up a bath towel, coated with… with …
A sound escaped her.
Rebel snapped her fingers in front of Meggie’s face. “Momma?”
“Baby, you okay?” Christopher asked.
“What do you think of the spa bath, Mom?” Axel demanded.
The water was cloudy, milky in some parts and mud brown in others. Amid that combination patches of oil separated the water. Strawberries, blades of grass, and stuff floated around.
Axel beamed at her. “We put yogurt, grass, pinecones, pine needles, mud, ground coffee, strawberries, and olive oil in it. All the stuffs you got at the spa.” He laid the towel over her shoulder.
“We just spread the yogurt and the olive oil on your towel. I wanted to warm it with your blow dryer but Ran said it might catch fire. Since he fell in the water cuz he listened to me, I decided not to blow dry your towel.”
Meggie stared at the mess in her tub, blinked, and burst into tears.
The over-the-top smoke alarm, complete with a loud and intrusive mechanical horn suddenly blared, and the sprinklers opened.