Page 42 of The Silent Note

Grey gives her a relieved smile.

Just then, a phone rings.

Everyone checks their pockets.

“It’s my mom,” Grey announces to the room, but her frightened gaze is on me.

“Want me to talk to her?” I ask.

Her eyes go wide and she flings a ‘no’ from the tip of her tongue like a bullet from a gun. Then, as if she doesn’t trust that I’ll grab the phone from her, she hurries outside to take the call.

“Her mom still hates your guts?” Sol asks, grabbing a beer.

“Let’s just say I won’t be son-in-law of the year.”

“What did Grey tell her mom so she could be out of the hospital for this long?” Cadey wonders.

Dutch holds her by the waist and brings her to stand between his legs. Leaning against her, he closes his eyes and mumbles, “Whatever it was, seems like Zane isn’t getting a honeymoon tonight.”

“You know that and you’re still cuddling in front of me?” I grab a pillow and hurl it at them.

It bangs against my window.

Dutch smirks. He’s being smug about getting some wifey action tonight.

The freaking bastard.

“Is Miss Jamieson coming back to school Monday?” Sol asks as he makes a concerted effort not to look at Cadey and Dutch.

“My wife’s name is Mrs. Cross now,” I correct him.

A bunch of groans rise from the room.

“Ah, shut up!” Sol grimaces.

Finn scoffs and closes his book.

Dutch throws the pillow back at me and I have to dodge.

“Regarding her future plans, I’m curious about that too,” Finn says, leaning forward. “Will she return to Redwood after outing Harris?”

I shrug. “She wants to.”

“Doesn’t mean she can,” Sol points out.

“They can’t fire her for the time being.” I jut my chin at Dutch. “We talked to Miller.”

Cadey looks surprised. “Christa’s dad?”

I nod. Grey thinks Redwood is keeping her on because they don’t want the bad press. I let her continue to think that because I didn’t want to kill what’s left of her faith in humanity. But Redwood Prep is a dog-eat-dog world and she would have been thrown out on her ear right along with Harris if I hadn’t paid Miller, Christa’s dad, a visit.

“We worked it out,” I say simply.

“What about Jinx?” Sol asks.

Finn looks up from his phone.

“Are you going to pay her off so she doesn’t report this?” Sol gestures between me and the door Grey just walked out of.