Mo read it again. Then a third time. Then he forwarded it to his personal email and handed the phone to Cal.
Cal slid the phone into his back pocket. “So, I guess I’ll see you at nine, then.”
Mo didn’t respond immediately. Would he go?
Bronwyn had frozen him out years earlier, and he deserved it. He’d been ready to leave the past behind them and move on for a while. Clearly she wasn’t.
But she’d come to him.
Sort of.
“I’ll think about it.”
Cal opened the door and walked outside. “You’re both being idiots.”
“What’s new?” Mo asked the empty space.
Cal stuck his head back in. “For starters? She asked for your help. That’s new.”
At 8:55 a.m. Mo walked into Cal’s office at SPQ Construction. “Morning, Carla.”
Carla Shaw was technically his cousin-in-law, but she was practically the big sister he’d never had and was one of his favorite people.
Carla came around the reception desk. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
He opened his arms, and she walked into them.
“I’ve been needing a Mo hug.” She squeezed him close before she stepped back. She tilted her head toward the back of the office. “She’s already here.”
He’d seen Bronwyn’s car in the parking lot, but he appreciated the warning. “Thanks.”
Carla rose on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Mo’s cheek. “I have faith that you two will sort yourselves out.”
“From your lips to God’s ears.” The phrase was a common one, but Mo meant every word. He’d been praying all morning, but he would take all the help he could get. So far, all he was sure God was telling him was to show up today. After that? God hadn’t seen fit to enlighten him.
Carla patted his arm, and he walked to Cal’s office. The door was open. Cal stood at the window. Bronwyn sat at the table Cal used when he needed to go over architectural drawings with clients. Her long dark hair fell halfway down her back in waves of almostblack with a hint of red that he knew wasn’t natural. The cut was slightly different from the last time he’d seen her, but he liked the new look. It highlighted her sharp cheekbones.
Her dark brown eyes were in sharp contrast to his sister Meredith’s bright blue. Meredith sat beside Bronwyn and looked up when Mo entered. “’Bout time you got here.”
He glanced at his watch. “I’m early.”
“On time is late for you.”
Mo ignored that remark. “What are you doing here?”
Meredith shrugged. “Cal called me.”
Bronwyn turned a ferocious glare on Cal. “I’m not sure why.”
Cal gave her a beatific smile. “Because we’re a team. You’re in trouble. We’re going to help you. End of discussion.”
Bronwyn fumed. “Mer’s soon-to-be husband is the police chief. Did it not occur to you that perhaps I didn’t loop her in for a reason?”
“Beep, we love you. Stop complaining. We’re here.” Cal took a seat across from her. “What’s going on?”
Mo took that as his cue to join them at the table. He slid into the remaining chair and studied the intricate woodburned surface. And then he waited.
Bronwyn hadn’t said a word directly to him in years, but they’d gotten pretty good at sharing the same space and participating in the same conversations. Maybe one day she’d mess up and speak to him.
