Page 68 of Rebellious

“Is Bailey all right? Why is she here?”

“She hurt her hand and her thigh,” Mortician explained. “She fell. Luckily, she didn’t break anything.”

Kendall wished she gave a fuck, but that bitch was putting Mortician and Harley through hell. He deserved so much better than a woman who’d stopped appreciating him for the good man he was. “Is there anything I can do?”

“I was going to come in tomorrow and file for a legal separation but…it’s bad, Kendall. I can’t leave my wife while she suffering so much.”

“You’re taking in sickness and in health to the extreme. Men have separated from their wives with worse injuries than what you’re describing.”

“It isn’t only that.” Sitting the almost empty baby bottle aside, he lifted Jo onto his shoulder, where a burp cloth lay. He began rocking her, offering gentle little taps to her back. “I’m not filing for the legal separation, but I need you to create backup medical proxies for me.” He gave her the names of everyone he wanted and in what order.

After closing her notes app, the missed call notification surprised her. She opened the list of recents. Anne Phillips had returned her call.

She scrolled, gasping when she saw Anne’s second call, this one accepted. Anne or her secretary must’ve called when she’d left her phone and ran to the bathroom after this morning’s conversation with Johnnie.

But…he hadn’t mentioned it. Was there no message to deliver? Or had Johnnie seen Anne’s name and researched her? If she asked about the call, it might all blow up in her face and—

Arms encircled her. She was so shook up, she hugged Mortician and laid her head on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s on your phone, Kendall,” he told her. “It probably got to do with that motherfucker you married to.”

Jo babbled.

“I’m coming, Squiggles,” he said, releasing Kendall and turning to the bed. “That’s CJ’s name for her,” he told Kendall as he lifted Jo into his arms again and returned her to his shoulder. “Your Aunt Kendall needed your Uncle Mort.”

“Cousin Mort,” Kendall said woodenly, according to the DNA tests. Big Joe’s newest letter came to mind and she wondered if she could wait almost two weeks to tell Outlaw. This coming Friday, he would be out of town.

“You right, baby. ‘Cause of that twisted fucking tree.”

Kendall nodded and glanced around the nursery. Near Jo’s white bed was the Panda cart that she’d spent the first four months of her life in. She wasn’t hooked up to IVs, but the blood pressure cuff and the electrodes for the heart monitor were draped over the side of the bed. “She’s come such a long way.”

“She has,” Mortician agreed. “When I walked in, the nurse was about to feed her. Meggie has me listed as her uncle with privileges, so they let me do it when I asked.”

“Excuse me, sir,” a pretty brunette nurse said, smiling between Kendall and Mortician. “I promised Mrs. Caldwell I’d take Baby Jo to her sister’s room. May I borrow her to check her vital signs?”

Mortician handed the baby over without comment. “I guess I should get back downstairs to see if Bailey got her discharge papers.”

“I’ll draw up the document with your backup proxies,” Kendall promised. “Do you want it to be indefinitely or should I include an expiration date?”

“Indefinitely, for now—”

“I should’ve fucking known you snuck off to be with another man.”

Johnnie’s hostile words interrupted Mortician, who stiffened.

Kendall placed herself between the two men and faced her husband. “I didn’t know he was in here, Johnnie.”

“You’re a goddamn liar.”

The loud words startled both Kendall and Jo. The baby released a wail.

“Sir—” the young nurse started.

“It’s cool, baby,” Mortician said, bypassing Kendall and stalking toward the door, purposely brushing against Johnnie.

“You, motherfucker,” Johnnie spat, turning, hot on Mortician’s heels.

“I’ll handle this,” Kendall assured the nurse, rushing behind Johnnie.