Page 93 of Remiss

“Even Cash wouldn’t hit me.”

“Jesus Christ, Fee, shut the fuck up,” Zoann ordered. “That’s quite a low fucking bar.”

“I have a brilliant idea,” Kendall inserted. “Why don’t we stop talking aboutourmarriages. We need to do an intervention for someone near and dear.”

Meggie straightened. Kendall’s words captured her full attention, although she hoped it was a ploy to change the conversation and lighten the mood.

Clearing her throat, Kendall glanced at Harley. “It’s Mortician.”

“What’s wrong with Daddy?”

“Nothing yet, but Symphony is definitely trying to change that,” Kendall replied.

“That waitress at the burger place?” Bunny asked.

“You told me she was flirting with him and he needed a pep talk,” Roxy said. “Is it more than that?”

“There was a lot going on that night,” Kendall admitted. “But Symphony wants Mortician. She sees that he’s vulnerable. I don’t think he’s confided in her about his marital problems—”

“He doesn’t have to,” Gypsy cut in. “A woman always knows.”

“I’m afraid…” Kendall halted and looked at Harley again. “Sweetheart, if this is too much for you, why don’t you leave the table for five minutes. I don’t…your daddy loves you so much. He’s just hurting and sometimes a woman takes advantage of that.”

Mattie got to her feet. “Come on, Harls. I’m a little overheated. Why don’t we take a walk? You want to come too, Reb?”

“I sure don’t,” Rebel replied.

“You sure do,” Meggie said.

“Do I have to, Momma?”

“Yes. We won’t be long,” Meggie promised. “Axel, Winnie, go with the girls.”

Harley started out, then halted. “I don’t blame Daddy, Aunt Kendall. I blameher. Symphony. I told him she was flirting with him and he brushed me off.”

“Don’t worry, sugar,” Roxy said with a smile. “We got this. Fucking with Mortician fucks with Bailey. I’m riding up on that bitch first thing Monday morning.”

“But I won’t be back in town,” Meggie said.

“We’ll handle her,” Zoann promised. “But we’ll leave something left for you.”

“Then it’s settled,” Kendall announced. “We ride out for noon?”

“Can it be in the evening time?” Bunny asked.

“You can’t come, honey,” Kendall said, indicating the kids return to their seats, which they did, trooping back to their chairs without a word. “We need fighters to beat that bitch into the ground. You’re too sweet for that.”

Meggie agreed. For as long as she’d known Bunny, she couldn’t remember one fight she’d got into.

“How old is this Symphony?” Gypsy asked. “Cool name by the way.”

“Symphony’s twenty,” Kendall answered.

“You all need to cut the guys some slack,” Gypsy advised. “It’s shitty that they’re led by their cocks, but it isn’t the worst thing.”

Bunny frowned. “Aren’t you always fucking crying over Derby’s roaming dick?”

“I could handle occasional dick sucks. Even some outside pussy every now and then, but Derby does it all the fucking time. It was a daily occurrence. It just wore me down.”