They walked out the door, and Bronwyn heard her mother say, “That went about as expected. I don’t know how we managed to raise such an ungrateful child.”
Bronwyn refused to cry. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
They would get nothing more from her. Not her emotions. Not her conversation.
Not her obedience.
They could keep her from going with Meredith and Mo.
But they couldn’t make her go to Switzerland.
Two months later, Mo held Bronwyn close and tried, so hard, not to cry as hard as she was. “It’s not forever. It’s two months. I’ll be home before you know it.”
She continued to sob like her heart was broken. Bronwyn was many things, but a crier wasn’t one of them.
He tried to pull away so he could see her face, but she clung to him. He held on another minute but then pushed her back until she finally released him enough for him to tilt her chin up. “Bronwyn? What’s going on? Why are you like this? What aren’t you telling me?”
She shook her head, tears spilling over faster than he could wipe them away. “I’m going to miss you so much. You have no idea.”
“I won’t go.” The words flew out of his mouth, but as soon as he said them, they felt right. “I’ll tell Mom and Dad ... something. I’ll figure it out. Please don’t cry. I’ll stay here this summer. I can stay with Papa and Granny.”
“They’ll never let you do that, Mo.” Was that a hint of desperate hope in her words?
“I’ll make something up. I’ll ... I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ll get sick. Or hurt. I’ll fake it until they leave me.”
“You can’t lie to your family!” Bronwyn shoved away from him. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying you’re the most important thing in my life and they all know it.” Mo’s eyes gleamed with intensity and a hint ofdesperation. “They think we’re too young, but I know, Bronwyn. You and me are forever.” He reached for her arms and gently squeezed them as he spoke. “I won’t leave you.”
“You have to.” Bronwyn swiped at the tears. “You have to go.”
“Do you really think I would leave with you crying like this? How could I?”
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head and swallowed. “I’m just ... I’m going to miss you so much, Mo. So much. But you can’t skip this trip.”
“They’ll forgive me. They forgave Connor and Carla when they ran off and got married.”
“Are we getting married?” Bronwyn ran her hand under her nose.
“Well...” Mo hesitated. Of course they weren’t getting married now. But, “I mean, someday.”
Bronwyn leaned toward him and rested her forehead on his chest. “You have to go, Mo. You can’t stay here. Your mom and Aunt Carol have been planning this trip for two years. I’ll be okay.”
They argued for another twenty minutes, but as usual, Bronwyn won.
Mo watched her walk back down the trail toward The Haven and fought the clawing need in his chest to run after her.
Bronwyn walked half a mile before her legs gave out and she crumpled to the forest floor. She’d done it. She’d let him go. It had been a close call and she’d almost given in. He would have run away with her. She knew he would. If she told him everything that was happening, he’d sneak her out of town, marry her, and deal with the consequences. He was only sixteen, but already, she could see that about him.
When faced with a threat to someone he loved, Mo Quinn would always come through. No matter what it cost him personally.
And this would cost him everything. His plans for college, the Army, the computers he planned to know better than anyone. She couldn’t do it. She loved him too much.
She would always love him.
But now, she had to figure out how to get out of this mess. Maybe there was a way. Maybe when he got home, this would all be a bad dream. There had to be a way.
Nineteen
