Mo wasn’t sure he agreed with Bronwyn’s assessment of her father, but he kept his mouth shut.
“Unfortunately, I suspect Nathan has violated the morality clause in every imaginable way. I can’t prove it yet, but I’m trying and I think he’s on to me. He has a mean streak, and he wants my job. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
Bronwyn looked at her watch. “I can’t stay any longer. I’ll be missed and I—”
“Tonight.” Mo looked at Cal, then Meredith, then made eye contact with her. There was something in his eyes that sent a shiver down her spine. And it wasn’t in fear.
Meredith jumped in. “Tonight works. Bronwyn, thank you for inviting us over!”
Bronwyn looked between the three people who’d had her back for almost thirty years and who, even now, stood with her. They’d been friends so long that it took her only a second to catch on. “Tonight works. Say six o’clock?”
“Perfect.” Cal walked to his desk. “Landry will be thrilled that we have dinner plans.”
Meredith leaned toward her. “We’re going to work this out, but you have to tell us if it gets dangerous for you. We’ll get you out of there.”
Mo left the room without a word to anyone.
When he was gone, Bronwyn let her head fall back and she stared at the ceiling. The words came out without her permission.
“He hates me.”
The silence that followed her admission could have shattered eardrums and was broken only when Cal stepped closer and leaned until his face filled her vision. “He doesn’t hate you. He told you he’d never speak to you again. He’s keeping his word.” Cal put his phone to his ear and stepped out of the office.
Bronwyn straightened in her seat and caught Meredith holding her hands in a distinctive way. “Do you want to strangle me?”
Meredith didn’t back down. “Not really. I love you, but I’m starting to feel some intense emotions because of you. When are you going to get over yourself about Mo?”
“I think I have.”
“Then why won’t you talk to him?”
“What would I say?”
Meredith stared at her, incredulity written across her face. “You could start with ‘Good morning, Mo.’ Or ‘Hi, Mo.’ Or even, ‘Mo, I think you’re hot, and we should date.’”
Cal had taken one step into the room, but at Meredith’s last remark, he turned around. “I’ll be back when y’all are done.”
“Get in here!” Meredith called after him.
Cal returned, with Mo on his heels and Carla right behind them.
“What’s going on?” Bronwyn looked at the three who’d blown back into the office like someone was chasing them.
“Your mother.” Carla’s eyes were huge.
“My ... what?”
“I saw your mother on the security cameras.” A chime announced her entrance into the front office. “She’s here.” Carla looked at Cal. “What do I do?”
“Welcome her in and ask her what she wants.” Cal opened the outside door to his office, which exited into a fenced-in area behind the building. “Meredith, you and Bronwyn come out here. Mo”—he tossed a set of keys to him—“go into Connor’s office and open his exterior door.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll call you.” Cal all but shoved them outside. The door closed behind them.
A moment later, a different door opened, and Mo waved them in. Bronwyn followed Meredith into Connor Shaw’s office and when she did, she understood Cal’s plan. Connor’s office had three doors. One to the exterior, one to the interior hall, and one that must lead back to the reception area. From here, they could escape the building without her mother seeing them.
“Once we find out what she wants, we’ll sneak you out.”Meredith leaned a hip against Connor’s desk. “Let’s head to Mountain Brew. We’ll grab a latte. If your mom asks, we’ll say we met here and walked to town.”
