Chapter Forty
“How do I look?” Grinning from ear-to-ear, Rebel spun on her pumps.
Seeing her daughter brimming with excitement overjoyed Meggie.
It also helped her to take her mind off Christopher.
Not only had he left after giving Rebel a Valentine’s Day present, but he hadn’t given Meggie one—not even flowers—nor had he been interested in the ones she’d bought him.
She already knew they wouldn’t spend alone time together this evening, but it shocked her that he’d left so early, hadn’t bought her a present, and only called her once today.
After she’d gotten home from her visit with Jordan, she’d waited for Christopher. She’d wanted to talk, but he said he didn’t have time and had continued to go out of his way to avoid her since then.
She’d allowed Rebel a day off from school so they’d prepare for her first date. After breakfast, they visited Jo, then spent hours at the spa before heading home.
Although Meggie tried to talk Rebel into a comfortable shoe choice for the blue lasercut mini dress, she wanted Rebel to feel confident, so she gave up the argument. At least Reb changed her mind about wearing six-inch platform boots.
She’d styled Rebel’s hair into the same curly ringlets as her own.
“Are you ready to get to the club, love?”
Rebel squealed and Meggie smiled.
She hadn’t intended to go to the club, but she wanted to let Christopher know they were heading out.
A few minutes later, she was behind the wheel of her Stingray while Rebel fidgeted in the passenger seat.
Christopher and the boys were already at the club, preparing to do whatever it was that prevented Christopher from spending the evening with her.
With the exception of their first Valentine’s Day together because his mother had been recently killed, each one thereafter Christopher went out of his way to be a romantic motherfucker for her.
Except this year.
She’d planned to ask if they could spend the evening at J’s.
Up in the manager’s office with all the cameras and a bird’s eye view of the main floor.
As much as she wanted to trust the men on her detail to protect her and believe in Rebel’s ability to defend herself, Meggie just couldn’t bear to think of her daughter all alone on her first date.
With Kaia. A nineteen-year-old who’d flirted with Meggie and whom she’d have to pretend not to know since no one could remember if they’d told Rebel if Meggie had met him at a football game.
She hated her hypocrisy, which was why she’d scratched all the plans she’d told Christopher about before Rebel asked if she could go on her date.
Meggie’s first inclination was to decline, but it was unfair of her to deny Rebel a chance at a teenage rite of passage on the most romantic day of the year.
If that meant Kaia taking her out, then Meggie would adjust accordingly.
She’d never dated a boy in high school. She wanted Rebel to have what she never did. Options. Crushes. Giggles. The excitement of Prom. Meggie wanted Rebel to move past almost losing CJ.
The teenage boys she’d known had been gossiping jerks.
Both her mother and stepfather kept her on a tight rein.
If Meggie had liked a boy and Mama got wind of it by whisper or observation, she told Thomas and there were consequences.
If Thomas suspected Meggie liked a boy, there’d been consequences.
A main reason Meggie wasn’t allowed to be on birth control was because that was the one firm stance her mother took against Thomas. Had she been on the pill, her stepfather would’ve forced her to have penetrative sex. If she’d gotten pregnant, his teddy bear persona would’ve been destroyed.
She wanted Rebel to have normalcy because Rebel desperately craved it. Meggie didn’t like the five-year-age difference, but she hated her daughter’s fixation on Diesel. Perhaps, she was as wrong in the way she was handling Rebel as her own mother had been toward her.
Kaia should’ve taken Rebel out days ago. The hold up created a collision course with one of the most important annual days for Meggie and Christopher.
Meggie swerved to a stop a few feet from the clubhouse entrance. Two probates rushed to each car door, but didn’t try to open either since Meggie hadn’t disengaged the locks yet and gave them the thumbs up sign.
“Ready, love?”
Rebel clasped her hands together. “Suppose I don’t know what to say? Or…or I get popcorn in my teeth at the movies? That is the worst, Momma. Then, he’ll notice food in my teeth instead of seeing me and all the money on my outfit and the hours spent doing my hair and—”
“Reb!” Meggie reached across the console and laid her hand on her daughter’s arm. “It will be fine. You got this. Before you leave for the restaurant, excuse yourself and go to the ladies’ room to check your appearance and refresh your makeup.”
Panic crossed Rebel’s face. “I only brought lipstick. Lipgloss. Er, lipstick?” She yanked her backpack from her shoulder. “I don’t remember. Can we go back home? I can get my makeup kit and stuff in…no, I’ll need a bigger purse.”
“You’re fine. Just take deep breaths. Walk in there with your head held high and with the knowledge that you’re gorgeous.”
“What did you do for your first date?”
Her first real date had been with Johnnie. He’d taken her out to dinner. Meggie cleared her throat, keeping her explanation simple. “Remember I told you my first date happened after I turned eighteen?”
Her kids just didn’t know who took her on her first date. They always assumed it was their daddy.
“I don’t remember if you said you were nervous.”
She’d been too heartbroken. She hadn’t known if she’d ever see Christopher again. “I wasn’t. Your granddaddy’s words helped to ground me most times.”
Rebel nodded. Neither one of them needed to go into detail. Over the years, Meggie repeated Big Joe’s mantra often enough .
Before Rebel found another stalling tactic, Meggie pressed a button on the side of the door, then gave the thumbs up signal. Normally, Christopher handed her out when she was dressed up.
Another thought she shoved aside as she allowed Oz to assist her.
Whereas Narci was a full-patch member with the build and coloring of a beserker, Oz was still in his probationary period and reminded her of a Roman gladiator.
He had massive height, massive muscles, and wide set brown eyes, ringed by thick, dark lashes.
He closed her door before she had a chance to step back, allowing his body to brush hers. “You’re mighty gorgeous tonight, Meggie. Outlaw’s a lucky man.”
“I’d say he was,” Teach agreed, the Probate who helped Rebel out of the sportscar.
Meggie smiled politely. “Thank you.”
“Are you cold, Momma?” Rebel called. “Should we get our coats?”
Her smile pasted on her face, Meggie stepped around Oz, aware of his gaze on her. She hurried to Rebel. “No, love. The clubhouse will be warm. We’ll just say goodbye to your daddy, so I can drop you off at the movies.”
“Okay.”
Rebel stared at the clubhouse door as if it was an enemy. Meggie took her daughter’s hand and tugged her toward it, almost colliding with Oz when he ran ahead of her to open the door.
The silence unnerved her as she walked in.
She could only imagine the effect it had on Rebel, who was already a nervous wreck.
Nor did it help that the clubhouse was packed with bikers and club girls, celebrating Valentine’s Day.
It was like walking a plank, lined with enemies and gawkers.
Long ago, Meggie had gotten used to the attention.
Rebel, however? This was her first foray outside of being Christopher’s daughter and CJ’s and Diesel’s sister. She was searching for her own identity, attempting to forge her own future and stand in her own truth. A daunting task when that search was so public.
Meggie’s stiletto sandals made her taller , but still not as tall as Rebel, especially with her three-inch pumps, yet the extra five inches on her snake wrap sandals helped when she put an arm around her daughter’s waist and guided her to Christopher’s table.
Meggie managed to acknowledge her boys. Rule sat at a table with the Terrible Triplets, JJ, Mark JB, Jasper, and Lou, while CJ was at the one next to it with Rory, Devon, Ryan, Bishop, and Grant.
As they approached Christopher’s table, it felt as if every eye was on them. Rebel’s nervousness reminded Meggie that her baby tried to act grown, but was still just a girl.
Diesel’s hostility as he stared at Rebel concerned Meggie, but went unnoticed by Christopher. He was too busy glowering.
“Where the fuck you think you goin’?”
“To a movie with Kaia, Daddy—”
“Not you, Reb.” Christopher roared to his feet. He pointed at Meggie. “Her. Your ma.”
Nyx and her cohorts snickered, annoying Meggie even more. They were back to being evil witches. Folding her arms, Meggie lifted a brow at Christopher.
“Out to celebrate Valentine’s Day.”
Any moment she expected her husband to keel over in an apoplectic fit.
“No the fuck you ain’t,” he snapped. “Not fuckin’ lookin’ like you belong on fuckin’ magazine covers and posters.
Fuck no! Go out without me, you gotta look regular-some- motherfuckers-get-cockstands-gorgeous, not smokin’ hot every -motherfucker-wanna-fuck-me-gorgeous.
You ain’t leavin’. Case fuckin’ closed.” He looked at Rebel.
“Sorry, baby, you can’t go on your fuckin’ date since your ma stayin’ with me. ”
“ What ? No! Daddy—”
Triumph entered Nyx’s eyes. Meggie would see who had the last laugh. Christopher growled in frustration and glared at Nyx.
“Ain’t no motherfuckin’ way you leavin’ and that’s fuckin’ final, Reb.”
Meggie offered a serene smile. “Rebel, go to the car. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“The car?” Christopher asked on a strangled note. “You takin’ the Vette?”
“It’s my car. I can take it—”
“I fuckin’ asked if you needed a detail tonight.”
“I told you I didn’t.” She hadn’t when he’d asked. “Rebel will go to a movie and then to Js.”