Chapter 36
Thirty-Six
Bronwyn didn’t speak until she and Mo were back in the small conference room. She leaned against the table and dropped her head.
Mo rubbed her back in slow circles. “That was amazing.”
She couldn’t speak.
“Hey.” He pulled her arms from the table and wrapped them around his waist.
She sank into the hug. She needed this moment before she ripped the scab off their oldest and deepest wound.
“What’s going on?” When she didn’t move, his tone changed. “Hey, baby? What’s this? What did I miss?” She tried to pull away, but he didn’t release her. “Talk to me.”
“I . . .” How could she do this? “Peter Brown and . . . the senator . . . I remember.”
“Tell me when you’re ready.”
She didn’t think she’d ever be ready. But once she started, the words tumbled out. “The senator’s brother. I didn’t know Corbin was the senator’s brother.”
“He can’t hurt you anymore, Bronwyn. He’s been dead for close to a decade.”
“I know. But I didn’t know he was the senator’s brother. Peter Brown. I knew I’d seen him before. He was younger, had different hair, and he was with the senator when he stayed here. He has to know, Mo. He knows about . . . everything.”
She expected him to go quiet. Or to get angry.
“I gathered the lot of them knows more than they ever let on, the morons. It’s a good thing you have a real family now. You won’t ever be hung out to dry again.”
She sagged against him. “I know you don’t want to talk about . . .”
“I will never be able to think about that whole situation without having to fight down my rage. But don’t ever, not for a second, think that even a drop of anger is directed at you.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Trust me.”
Bronwyn took a deep breath and steeled herself for the coming confession. “When I saw him, he was going by the name Glen Masters, and he was the security chief for Senator Carlsman.”
“Senator Clayton Carlsman who everyone thinks will run for president?”
“The same.”
Mo swallowed hard. “And this Senator Carlsman was Corbin’s brother, and you didn’t know?”
“No clue.” Her own fury raged. “My family knew Corbin was Senator Carlsman’s brother and never told me so they could keep having him come and stay at The Haven. My own parents . . .”
A soft knock on the door pulled her back to the present.
“It’s me.” Cal’s voice came through the door.
“Come in,” Mo called, without turning her loose.
Cal slipped in and closed the door behind him. “Sorry to interrupt. It looked like your uncles and your dad were going to come to blows in the parking lot. I suggested they take it off the property.”
Mo resumed rubbing small circles on her back. “Did they?”
“It took a little bit of encouragement.” Cal gave Mo a look that didn’t show up on his face often. “I may have indicated that I have arrest authority.”
“You do not.”
“I didn’t say I did.” Cal shrugged. “It’s not my fault if they made assumptions.”
Bronwyn forced herself to step back from Mo. “Did they leave?”
“They did. And Brick happened to be parked outside the gate, and he followed them.”
Bronwyn had a bad feeling about this. “Where did they go?”
“To your grandmother’s.”
Cal and Mo exchanged a look but neither said anything.
“Even on her deathbed, Grandmother can handle them. I’ve had all I can handle of the Pierces today.” She turned to Mo. “Take me home?”
“Of course.”
A few minutes later, Cal climbed behind the wheel, but Mo slid in beside her in the back of the cab. Cal turned around and asked, “Where to?”
Mo answered, “My house.”
Cal started the truck and drove off The Haven grounds. No one spoke for the first several miles. “Mo?” Cal said.
“Yeah.”
“What do you need?”
“I need you to stay in touch with Gray and Marcus. I’m going to be deep in the files, but I don’t want to be out of the loop.”
“You got it. Bronwyn, what about you?”
What did she need? There were too many things for her to narrow down.
Cal caught her eye in the rearview mirror. “Ice cream?”
“Ice cream would be great, but I can’t take from a pregnant woman. That’s criminal.”
He laughed. “My beautiful wife made a run to the store while we were out. Lionel restocked. She bought five pints.”
“I love your wife.”
“So do I. If I haven’t mentioned it lately, thanks for bringing her and my daughter to Gossamer Falls. I owe you.”
“I’ll take ice cream as payment.”
“Excellent.” Cal lapsed into silence, and Bronwyn dropped her head to Mo’s shoulder.
They rode that way until Cal pulled to a stop beside Meredith’s 4Runner and a 1965 Ford Mustang. Bronwyn knew next to nothing about cars. But she knew that Mustang.
Doug and Jacque sat with Meredith by the firepit.
Cal turned in the driver’s seat. “Give them my love. I’m going home for a few minutes. I’ll be back.”
Mo climbed from the truck and Bronwyn followed him. He took her hand, and they walked toward the firepit.
It was awkward for all of three seconds. Then Jacque hopped to her feet and ran to them. Doug wasn’t far behind. Soon Bronwyn was surrounded by hugs and kisses and warmth and concern.
At some point, they disentangled themselves for one-on-one hugs. Jacque pulled Bronwyn close and whispered, “I’m so happy to see you, sweetheart.”
Then Doug pulled her away and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Come here, darling girl.” Everyone in the family talked about Mo’s hugs.
He’d learned his technique from his dad.
Doug squeezed her tight, then stooped to look into her eyes.
“I’m only going to say this one time, so I want you to listen good. ”
Bronwyn nodded.
“If things don’t work out with you and Mo, that will be hard on all of us, but it will not mean you lose me or Jacque. You got that?”
The tears she’d fought for days streamed down her face. “Yes, sir.”
He pulled her in for another hug. “But do give him a chance, okay?”
That made her laugh through the tears.
“Dad! What did you say to her?” Mo pulled her away from his dad and tucked her protectively under his arm. “You’re supposed to be Team Bronwyn.”
“I am, son.” He winked at her. “All the way. Just making sure she knew that.”
“Come over here and fill us in on what happened.” Meredith waved at them from the firepit. “Gray won’t tell me anything, but you can.”
They spent the next thirty minutes filling in the two people who’d done the most to teach Bronwyn what parents were supposed to be. When Mo got to the part about Corbin and the senator, Jacque Quinn lost her cool. She stood up and stomped around the firepit for a full minute.
All Bronwyn could understand of her words were “can’t believe” and “should have known,” and “but who would ever?” and several occurrences of, “I’m going to give Lacey Pierce a piece of my mind.”
“Mom, when you go talk to her, please, I beg of you, let me wire you with a camera. Please.”
Jacque shook her head at her son. “Oh no, Mo. When I finally say what I need to say, it would be best if there’s no documentation.”
Bronwyn soaked up the love for the next ten minutes until Doug and Jacque left with promises of Sunday lunch and admonitions that they keep them informed, particularly if anyone got shot again.
Mo watched his parents drive away. Meredith tucked her arm in his. “We hit the jackpot in the parent lottery.”
“We sure did.”
“I’m going to change clothes.” She was still in her work scrubs. “Holler if you need me.”
After Meredith left, Mo studied Bronwyn as she sat by the firepit. She looked like someone who’d lost a puppy and had been given a new one on the same day. Grief and joy comingled.
Her eyes met his. He pointed to his house. “I’m going to do what I do.”
“I’m going to sit by the river for a few minutes.”
He didn’t stop her when she walked away from him. He couldn’t keep her tied to his side 24/7. Although the idea did have some merit.
He went inside and dove into the world of Senator Carlsman, his brother, and Glen Masters—aka Peter Brown.
Three hours later, he looked up to see Bronwyn asleep in his chair. He didn’t remember her coming in. It was almost dark outside, and he was tempted to let her sleep.
But he had answers. Well, partial answers. The rest of what he needed was at The Haven. There’d be no sleep for him until he got what he needed.
He stood, stretched, and walked to her chair. “Bronwyn?”
She made a small sound, shifted, and went still again.
“Bronwyn, baby, we need to go back to your place.”
She cracked an eye open. “Why?”
“Because I need access to the main server.”
She opened both eyes. “You figured it out?”
“If you hadn’t made the connection between Peter Brown and Senator Carlsman, I never would have known where to look. That was the missing piece. Once I had that, everything else fell into place.”
She blinked several times. “Okay. Let’s go.”
It took thirty precious minutes to get everything he needed packed, the files saved, and details sent to Gray. He didn’t tell Bronwyn that he was doing all this in case something happened to them before he could share his findings.
They got into his Jeep and drove toward The Haven.
Mo kept his head on a swivel. They made it to the front gates without any issues.
Klaus stepped out from the guard house with his business face on.
Mo rolled down his window and Klaus peered inside.
“Good to have you back, ma’am,” he said to Bronwyn.
“Should I arrange for a key card to be made for Mr. Quinn?”
“Yes.” Bronwyn leaned over from the passenger side. “And program his vehicles into the system as well. Full access.”
“I’ll get right on that.” Klaus stepped back inside, and the gates opened.
“Does this mean I can come into The Haven grounds anytime I want?” Mo asked as they drove through.
“It does.”
Bronwyn might not have seen it, but for Mo, this was a big step of trust. “Thank you.”
She sighed. “It’s not much of a prize.”