Zoann are pregnant, too.”
Kendall made Meggie want to scream in pure frustration. Then, she’d calm herself and realize one of them had to be reasonable. When they’d both gone off the deep end, it had led to their tragedies. Besides, Meggie liked Kendall. Most of the time. She had crappy delivery, but, then, they all did. But she needed Kendall to stand down for a little while, so Meggie could get through to Christopher. Make him realize Kendall did no more or no less than the rest of them. Instead, Christopher would just as soon kill Kendall.
At least, she was hundreds of miles away in Hawaii, so she wouldn’t confront Christopher and get herself and Johnnie, um, disappeared.
Bailey plopped next to her and took her hand, squeezing it. “Kendall was just worried about you.”
“I know. I’m not angry with her. I just wish she’d back down.”
“I shouldn’t have told her. She sounded so panicked, though. She said she couldn’t bear to lose anyone else.”
“It’s fine, I swear,” Meggie said. “She’s safe from Christopher.”
“You are, too,” Bailey giggled. “If she was here, all hell would break loose because she’d confront Outlaw.”
Meggie laughed and nodded in agreement, although the situation was far from funny. “I shouldn’t have gotten Mortician involved,” she said quietly.
“He understands. Better you call him then get in your car and black out and crash.”
Bailey hugged her, but she didn’t look well at all. She seemed not only pregnant but puffy, although Meggie wouldn’t point that out because gaining all the pregnancy weight was bad enough.
“You can spend the night here if you’d like.”
Meggie shook her head. “No, I can’t do that.” The nights Christopher stayed out and didn’t return before she fell asleep were hard enough. “Zoann should be here soon. Mortician just suggested I come here until I felt better, so when I see Christopher, I won’t look weak and sick.”
“Are you going to tell him about the baby?”
Pulling her hand away, Meggie shrugged, the deeper meaning behind that question more troubling than anything. Would she tell him and keep it? Would she tell him and then abort it? Or would she abort it and never tell him?
She already had two secrets—that the deputy had performed a bare-fingered strip-search on her and that Val had been so drugged he hadn’t realized he was attempting to force her to have sex with him. Sometimes, protecting her husband meant also protecting his brothers. Besides, she liked Val. More than that, though, her relationship with Christopher was built on trust. Once they started withholding information from one another, their marriage would be over.
“I’m going to tell him,” she decided, her insides trembling at his reaction. She already knew he’d demand she get rid of it and that was tearing her to pieces inside. But, then the doctor had recommended termination, too.
“Meggie, I’m sick,” Bailey said quietly. “I’ve started retaining fluid and…and Dr. Will is recommending a high risk obstetrician. It’s bad. Really, really bad.”
Meggie’s heart dropped at the fear in Bailey’s voice and she hugged her friend, not having to ask if Mortician knew. Mortician might’ve been determined to win that stupid bet, but, if he knew Bailey was sick he’d be here with her.
“I’m scared.”
Tears rushed to Meggie’s eyes. She was, too. “We’re going to get through this together.”
“Should I tell Lucas?”
Meggie tucked strands of Bailey’s hair behind her ear. “You already know the answer to that.”
Nodding, she pulled in a breath. “I’ve been getting these strange calls from California—“
Pounding on the door interrupted Bailey. Before she rose to her feet, the door slammed open and four men rushed in, dressed in suits—with guns drawn.
“Who are—?” Bailey squeaked, but snapped her mouth shut when Digger strolled in.
“Digger?” Meggie gasped, jumping to her feet at
Kendall made Meggie want to scream in pure frustration. Then, she’d calm herself and realize one of them had to be reasonable. When they’d both gone off the deep end, it had led to their tragedies. Besides, Meggie liked Kendall. Most of the time. She had crappy delivery, but, then, they all did. But she needed Kendall to stand down for a little while, so Meggie could get through to Christopher. Make him realize Kendall did no more or no less than the rest of them. Instead, Christopher would just as soon kill Kendall.
At least, she was hundreds of miles away in Hawaii, so she wouldn’t confront Christopher and get herself and Johnnie, um, disappeared.
Bailey plopped next to her and took her hand, squeezing it. “Kendall was just worried about you.”
“I know. I’m not angry with her. I just wish she’d back down.”
“I shouldn’t have told her. She sounded so panicked, though. She said she couldn’t bear to lose anyone else.”
“It’s fine, I swear,” Meggie said. “She’s safe from Christopher.”
“You are, too,” Bailey giggled. “If she was here, all hell would break loose because she’d confront Outlaw.”
Meggie laughed and nodded in agreement, although the situation was far from funny. “I shouldn’t have gotten Mortician involved,” she said quietly.
“He understands. Better you call him then get in your car and black out and crash.”
Bailey hugged her, but she didn’t look well at all. She seemed not only pregnant but puffy, although Meggie wouldn’t point that out because gaining all the pregnancy weight was bad enough.
“You can spend the night here if you’d like.”
Meggie shook her head. “No, I can’t do that.” The nights Christopher stayed out and didn’t return before she fell asleep were hard enough. “Zoann should be here soon. Mortician just suggested I come here until I felt better, so when I see Christopher, I won’t look weak and sick.”
“Are you going to tell him about the baby?”
Pulling her hand away, Meggie shrugged, the deeper meaning behind that question more troubling than anything. Would she tell him and keep it? Would she tell him and then abort it? Or would she abort it and never tell him?
She already had two secrets—that the deputy had performed a bare-fingered strip-search on her and that Val had been so drugged he hadn’t realized he was attempting to force her to have sex with him. Sometimes, protecting her husband meant also protecting his brothers. Besides, she liked Val. More than that, though, her relationship with Christopher was built on trust. Once they started withholding information from one another, their marriage would be over.
“I’m going to tell him,” she decided, her insides trembling at his reaction. She already knew he’d demand she get rid of it and that was tearing her to pieces inside. But, then the doctor had recommended termination, too.
“Meggie, I’m sick,” Bailey said quietly. “I’ve started retaining fluid and…and Dr. Will is recommending a high risk obstetrician. It’s bad. Really, really bad.”
Meggie’s heart dropped at the fear in Bailey’s voice and she hugged her friend, not having to ask if Mortician knew. Mortician might’ve been determined to win that stupid bet, but, if he knew Bailey was sick he’d be here with her.
“I’m scared.”
Tears rushed to Meggie’s eyes. She was, too. “We’re going to get through this together.”
“Should I tell Lucas?”
Meggie tucked strands of Bailey’s hair behind her ear. “You already know the answer to that.”
Nodding, she pulled in a breath. “I’ve been getting these strange calls from California—“
Pounding on the door interrupted Bailey. Before she rose to her feet, the door slammed open and four men rushed in, dressed in suits—with guns drawn.
“Who are—?” Bailey squeaked, but snapped her mouth shut when Digger strolled in.
“Digger?” Meggie gasped, jumping to her feet at
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