The text was from Marcus.
Ms. Pierce, William and Nathan are having it out in Nathan’s office. Lots of yelling. I specifically heard William say he was going to call the board to an emergency meeting. I thought you should know.
Bronwyn sagged. “I guess I should go find out what’s happening.”
Mo didn’t think she should, but he wouldn’t argue with her in front of Gray.
She slid her statement back to Gray. “Are we done?”
“We are. I’ll keep you both informed of any developments.” He glanced at the phone as Mo handed it back to Bronwyn. “Everything okay?”
“Lots of yelling between my uncle and cousin. That doesn’t bode well.” Bronwyn stood. “I’ll also keep you informed.”
Mo followed her as they walked out. When they reached the Jeep, he touched her arm. “May I make a suggestion?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t bust up the argument.”
“Mo—”
“Hear me out. If you really want to head to the office, then let’s go back to your house first. Do your hair, makeup, put on a power suit, then walk in there like the CEO you are. I’ll support you all the way.”
“But you don’t think I should go at all?”
“I think it would be more prudent to carry on with your day the way you planned. Show no weakness. Don’t let on that you care what they’re up to.”
He hoped he wasn’t wrong, but he didn’t think he was.
“I do, however, think you should pay a visit to your grandmother. She was worried about you. She should see you. Face to face.”
Bronwyn climbed into the Jeep and waited for Mo to get in on the other side. “You have a devious streak.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” He batted his eyelashes at her.
She cranked the engine. “I can’t go to my grandmother’s like this though.”
“What’s wrong with what you have on?” Mo waved a hand in her direction. “You look great.”
She didn’t believe him. No, that wasn’t right. She believed thathethought she looked great.Shedidn’t think she looked great. “I lost my temper with my parents, but they’re a different situation. I won’t go so far as to say they don’t deserve anything from me, but they have actively worked against me for too long for me to owe them any loyalty.”
And didn’t those words cut to the quick? “But Grandmother?” she continued. “She has expectations. Meeting those expectations is more about respect. She’s not perfect, but at least she loves me ... in her own way.” She didn’t say that she didn’t think her parents loved her at all. She wasn’t quite ready to go that far.
Mo rubbed the back of his head and winced. “I hear you, but do you think you should go alone?”
“I wasn’t planning on going alone.” She gave him what shehoped was a confident smile. “Since I’m being all kinds of bold and brash today, I thought I’d see if you’d care to join me.”
The words surprised her, but hearing them, she knew it was the right call. “There’s so much going on, I don’t feel safe...” She stopped herself before she finished the thought with “unless I’m with you.”
She waited for him to say something, but he looked like she’d surprised him. She lost her patience and asked him flat-out, “Will you come with me?”
That knocked him out of whatever mindspace he’d been in, and he waggled his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But I guess I should change too?”
Thirty minutes later, they parked in Grandmother’s driveway. Both of them were dressed in what most people would call business casual but what Grandmother would consider to be right on the edge of loungewear.
To Bronwyn’s surprise, Grandmother wasn’t in the house. She sat in a wheelchair beside her flower garden. Sebastian, poor kid, stood guard a few feet away.
After Mo helped her from the Jeep, Sebastian acknowledged her presence but didn’t move from his post.
