Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
Later that evening, Mo sat beside the firepit and tried to focus on the conversation. Eliza was happy, per usual. Her cousin Abby was with her. They were having a sleepover, and Landry and Cal had made the bold decision to allow them to have both mountain pies and s’mores.
They were well away from the smoke, bouncing around the yard like blown-up balloons that had been released into the wild. Eliza’s almost full-grown puppy, Pippi, chased after them.
Landry leaned against Cal, both their hands on her ever-growing belly. Meredith was building a new flavor of mountain pie that would either be delicious or an atrocity, and Gray stood by her, laughing as she debated which ingredient to add next.
Maisy couldn’t seem to decide who needed the most attention. She was usually glued to Landry’s side these days. But at the moment, she sat at Bronwyn’s feet while Bronwyn petted her and scratched behind her ears in that spot she loved. It was hard to tell who was happier with the situation.
Bronwyn sat beside Mo, but she’d left room for the Holy Spirit and a few angels.
Mo understood. He even agreed. It was too soon for a public declaration of . . . anything. And while the adults present knew, the kids didn’t.
But his mind kept returning to her kisses by the river.
The way everything in him—mind, soul, spirit, and body—was finally home.
Those pleasant ruminations were battered by the ever-present fact that The Haven accounts told him the woman who’d kissed him senseless earlier today had blackmailed a state senator and embezzled enough money from The Haven that she could reasonably hop a plane for South America and disappear.
And she’d disappeared before.
He’d told her the truth today. He was choosing to believe in her. What he hadn’t told her was that he was having to make that choice over and over again.
The facts in front of him were hard to ignore.
The facts from their past were hard to ignore.
But here he was, ignoring like he’d never ignored before.
She caught his eye and wrinkled her forehead. “What’s wrong? Does your head still hurt?”
“It does, but it’s not as bad as it was.”
She twisted her lips. “It’s me, isn’t it?”
“No man in his right mind would ever say yes to that question.”
She didn’t smile at his lame joke. “What else did you find?”
He glanced at the others and shook his head.
She started to protest, but he raised his hand, and she paused on the inhale.
“Later.” He looked at his watch and then at the girls. “It won’t be long before they’re tucked in at Cal’s house with a movie.”
She huffed but didn’t argue. Another two minutes of silence went by before she scooted a fraction closer and leaned toward him. “If we aren’t going to talk about that, let’s talk about something else.”
He twisted until he faced her. “What did you have in mind?”
“We could discuss your weird coffee issues.”
That was not what he expected her to say.
“Or why a man who is practical about most things insists on driving a Jeep when it is not remotely practical or even comfortable to ride in.”
He gasped but didn’t try to hide his grin. Heavy conversations were coming, but she was clearly keeping it light. She wanted to play.
He could do that.
“Oh, I have another one. We could talk about how a manly man such as yourself has become, dare I say, addicted to that spa in Highlands?”
“Now you’re being ridiculous. I’m not addicted to it. And as a woman who had a massage yesterday, you’re in no position to throw stones.”
“Hot stones?” She arched an eyebrow and laughed at her own lame joke. But the humor vanished almost as quickly as it came. “You should get a massage soon. Your body has to be a mess.”
“It is, but I don’t want to freak out the therapist when I roll up in there with bullet holes.”
Bronwyn shuddered.
“Sorry.” He reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Let’s move back to something light and fun. Let’s talk about why you need to change the coffee at The Haven to something more—”
“Not happening. We order our coffee from a small co-op in Guatemala. The proceeds go to a mission there. The people who pick the beans and roast them are all paid a livable wage. And it’s fresh and certified mold-free and all the other stuff coffee should be free of.
We pay a fortune for it, and it’s worth every penny because it is delicious.
” She pointed toward his home. “Unlike what I’ve heard about the stuff you keep over there. ”
“So, since I know the CEO—”
“For today.”
“Fine, before you step down—”
“Or get fired.”
“Would you stop? Can you get me a bag?”
“Of coffee?”
“No, of dirt from the outside of the cabin that the MLB pitcher likes to stay in. I want some of the ground he’s walked on.”
“You are so weird.” She rolled her eyes at him, and it was . . . spectacular. For a split second, they were fifteen and bantering over brownies. She was team middle. He was team edge. He didn’t realize they were leaning toward each other until Meredith interrupted them.
“Hey, you two! Stop flirting and come try this. It may be my best pie yet.”
Bronwyn pinched her lips together and looked down at the increasingly shrinking space between them. “I don’t suppose there’s any point in ignoring her?”
“Sadly, no.”
“I heard that.” Meredith glared at them from the opposite edge of the firepit.
“I meant for you to hear me.” Bronwyn blew her a kiss.
Meredith pretended to swat it away. “If you don’t eat this while it’s hot and melty, you won’t experience the full effect of my culinary genius.”
Mo stood and pulled Bronwyn to her feet.
“I didn’t know she had any culinary genius.”
Bronwyn’s stage whisper had Meredith pointing tongs in her direction. “Watch it, Beep.”
And for the next hour, Mo didn’t worry about blackmailers or backstabbing. He didn’t think about the future, and he definitely didn’t think about the past.
He stayed in the present. And in the present, a beautiful woman who he knew better than most and simultaneously barely knew at all slowly but surely shortened the distance between them.
When she stood on the opposite side of the fire with Meredith and Landry, she included him in their laughter.
When she sat on the edge of the firepit and helped Eliza roast yet another marshmallow, her smile drew him into the moment.
And when they settled back around the fire, and it was time to divulge what he suspected, he was surprised but pleased when she tucked herself against his good side and smirked at his sister and cousin with an expression that said, “Go ahead. Say it.”
But they didn’t say anything.
He put his arm around her shoulder and waited.
Gray and Meredith sat in their two-person chair, and he played with her engagement ring as it flickered in the firelight. “I guess I’ll start.”
“Please.” Meredith gave him a light kiss.
“If someone doesn’t start, we’ll all end up staring at each other all night.
It could be weird and awkward, what with Mo and Bronwyn sitting over there like they’ve been dating for three years already and all of us wondering what happened but not wanting to ask because we’re afraid we’ll mess it up somehow. ”
Landry rubbed her stomach. “I don’t think there’s anything we could do to mess them up.
They’re pretty good at managing it all by themselves.
Looking at them right now, I feel like I do when I’m working with a freshly thrown vase.
If I put too much pressure on it, it will fold in on itself and I’ll have to start all over. ”
Cal pressed a kiss to her temple. “Have faith.” He looked from Mo to Bronwyn to Meredith. “This was always how it was supposed to be and we all know it. Let’s be happy we’re here now and figure out how to keep Bronwyn and Mo from getting shot.”
“Again.” Meredith glared at Mo.
“Why are you mad at me? It’s not like I asked to be shot.”
“No, but you need to figure this out faster.”
“He’s working as fast as he can.” Bronwyn’s response had an edge of . . . something. Protectiveness?
“I know, Beep.” Meredith, to his surprise, backed way off. Her voice was gentle and even a little apologetic. “I didn’t mean to imply anything else. I’m . . .” She blew out a breath and collapsed into Gray’s side.
“We’re all on edge.” Cal tucked Landry closer to him. “We’re exhausted and frustrated, and if we aren’t careful, we’ll start taking it out on each other. Let’s not do that.”
“Hear, hear.” Gray raised his iced tea toward Cal.
“It’s like when Meredith drags me off on some twenty-seven-mile hike.
” That earned him a gentle swat. He caught her hand and kissed her fingers.
“When I don’t think I have it in me to walk another step, she tells me we’re almost there and that it will be worth it. ”
Everyone laughed because they’d all heard Meredith say that.
“The thing is, that last push is usually brutal. Straight uphill on legs that are jelly, lungs burning for oxygen, and fatigue making me question all my life choices. And then we reach the top.” He threw his hands in the air like he’d just won a race.
“And it’s all there. The money shot. The view.
The payoff. The reason for the journey. And it’s so worth it. ”
Landry leaned into Cal. “Did you know Gray had such a philosophical side?”
“I blame Meredith.” Cal grinned at his friend. “But yeah, you’re right. It does feel like that. Like we’re close to something amazing . . . if we don’t quit.”
“Or turn on each other.” Landry pointed at Meredith and Cal. “So, behave.”
Both of them gave her wide-eyed, innocent looks that no one with three working brain cells would believe.
Gray cleared his throat. “It’s like herding cats . . .” He shook his head. “Okay. Focus, everybody. We have real problems here.”
“Yeah, like Mo getting shot,” Cal said.
“And Bronwyn getting shot at,” Landry added.