SIX

Meredith slid back into her seat. She’d told them. It was out. But not the worst of it. “I went to Kirby.”

Gray nearly came out of his chair. “You did what?”

“I’m a mandated reporter, Gray. And I was in his jurisdiction. I’m required by law to report cases of suspected abuse. I went to Chief Kirby and told him what I’d heard.”

Gray stared at her, mouth open and apparently unable to form words.

“What did he say?” The question came from Mo, who was nearly vibrating with fury.

“He took my report. Told me he’d look into it. Told me he appreciated me doing my job. He was kindness personified.”

“So, basically, he patted you on the head, told you that you were a good girl, and sent you on your way assuming you wouldn’t worry about it anymore?” Bronwyn’s words dripped with derision.

“Essentially.”

“When did he realize you weren’t going to drop it?”

Meredith could have hugged Landry for her words. “The next time I filed a similar report.”

“What did he say?” Gray’s voice was a low rumble, and it sent a shiver down her spine. The shiver wasn’t entirely one of fear.

“He wasn’t quite as friendly. He told me he appreciated the position I was in as a mandated reporter but suggested I shouldn’t take everything that came from the mouths of toddlers as gospel.”

“Idiot.” Cassie smirked. “How’d that work for him?”

“I sent my next reports to social services, but nothing happened. I’ve concluded that there’s no one in Neeson County who is safe. The children aren’t safe. The adults aren’t safe. I’m not saying there aren’t any good people there. There are. But there’s so much fear there. Someone, and I’m not convinced the someone in question is Kirby, has them all under his thumb. The social worker told me she’d received my report and she would look into it. I keep sending reports. She sends me the same canned response each time, so I asked Mo to find out about her.”

Mo was not pleased. “You didn’t tell me why you wanted the info.”

“I didn’t want to bias you.”

He gave her a curt nod, then took up the narrative. “I didn’t know the backstory. What I found out is that the social worker assigned to Neeson is Marvin Johnstone’s daughter-in-law. Marvin is in his sixties, and he’s doing awfully well for a man who hasn’t held down a job in thirty years. Large home. Multiple cars. The family lives on the property.”

Donovan snorted at that. “The way you do?”

“No.” Mo wasn’t angry, but he was firm. “Not even close. We own our land. We own our homes. Even these homes.” He waved at their tiny homes. “It’s different for them. Johnstone owns the property and houses. His kids live in them. They pay rent. I didn’t dig more at the time.”

His expression told Meredith that he would be digging now. Probably tonight.

“Johnstone’s the one we suspect is behind most of the drug trafficking in Neeson.” Gray closed his eyes and leaned back into his seat. “Meredith? How do you do this?”

“Do what?”

“Get mixed up with the absolute worst possible people?”

“Hey!” Cal objected.

“I’m not talking about your family.” Gray rubbed his hands over his face. “I’m talking about Johnstone and the dirty cops.”

“It’s not like I went looking for them.” Why was this so hard for everyone to understand? “I offered free dental care. That’s it. I didn’t think anything of the officers bringing their kids. It’s not like police work is a high-paying job. I was happy to take care of anyone who needed some help. No problem. And I didn’t know Johnstone had a lot of money. I have a lot of little Johnstones in my files, and their parents don’t look like they’re living large. The kids are in cheap clothes. The moms look...” Meredith considered her words.

“I’m not a mom, but I know it’s exhausting and hard work,” she said. “So please understand that what I’m about to say is not a criticism of these women. It isn’t. But these moms look defeated. Worn. Desperate. They’re trying. But they don’t think they have any choices. I don’t think they believe they can leave. They’re stuck. And their kids are stuck.”

It was the stuckness that broke Meredith’s heart. “I don’t know how to help them. I don’t know what else I can do. I try to be kind. Try not to make assumptions. Try to pray for them. And I’ve told more than one of them that if they ever decide to make a change, they can call me.”

Gray sucked in a breath. Cal shared a look with Mo that Meredith didn’t like at all. And then Donovan let out a huge groan. “You’ve ticked off the entire criminal population of Neeson. Which means anyone—from Johnstone to Kirby—could be coming after you.”

“Yes.”

“You have to stay out of Neeson.” This came from Mo. “You see that, don’t you?”

Meredith didn’t respond.

“Meredith?” This time it was Cal. “You don’t have to do clinics in Neeson. You really don’t. You’ve done quite a few. Let things settle down.”

“I can’t.”

“You can’t or you won’t?” Gray’s tone told her he already knew the answer.

“I’ve given my word.”

“Is that worth dying over?”

“They aren’t going to kill me!”

“What do you think the plan was for today, Meredith?” Gray’s voice had lost all of its usual control. “They intended to leave you stranded. They probably hoped you’d be stranded in Neeson County. If you’d run out of diesel a mile earlier, I wouldn’t have seen you. Do you not see how easy it would be? We find the van on the side of the road. You’re missing. A week from now, we find your body. No one is to blame. It’s a tragedy. You decided to hike and got turned around.”

Meredith’s throat constricted at his words. No one else spoke as they watched the conversation bounce between them.

“There is nothing in Neeson worth taking that kind of risk.”

“There’s a wedding.”

“A wedding?” Gray snorted. “Why do you have to go to a wedding?”

“I’m doing the flowers.”

“When?”

“In late February.”

“Can they not come to Gossamer Falls to pick up the flowers?”

“I have a contract to decorate the church and the reception hall. The girl getting married is precious. Her little sisters are adorable. The mom is so tired and worn. I need to help them.”

“At the expense of getting yourself killed?”

“It’s a wedding!”

Gray glared at her. She glared back. “You cannot go into Neeson alone. At all. Ever. For any reason.”

“I don’t have a problem with that. You don’t have to worry about me sneaking off to Neeson. I’m not stupid, Gray. And I don’t have a death wish. But I can’t live with myself if I can’t keep my word.” She wanted to ask him why he cared so much. Why it mattered so much. But with her family looking on, she kept her questions to herself.

“Are you invited to the wedding?”

“What?”

“The wedding that you’re doing the flowers for. Are you invited to the ceremony?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m your plus-one.”

“You—you’re—what?”

“I like it.” A slow smile crept across Cal’s face. “They wouldn’t dare do anything with Gray there.”

Gray ignored them. His eyes were focused on her. “Well?”

This was a bad idea. Going to a wedding together? “I’m going to need to make a couple of trips to Neeson over the next month or so.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Gray.” She didn’t mean to whine. She cleared her throat. “I promise not to go alone. But you don’t have to go. I’m sure my brother would be willing to be my plus-one.”

She looked at Mo. The traitor shook his head. “Not a chance, baby sister.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t do weddings.”

“You were Cal’s best man!”

“It’s a recent decision.”

“Mo isn’t a good choice for this. It has to be me.” Gray’s tone said it was decided.

“Why?” She was panicking. She could feel it. She’d been spending way too much time with Gray lately. If she had to go to a wedding with him? Dressed up? Gray in a uniform nearly undid her. Gray in a suit?

She wasn’t a sadist. Spending time with him was a form of torture. She wanted to be with him, and she dreaded being with him. What fresh disaster would happen while she was in his presence? How much more would it hurt to want him and see for herself just how much he didn’t want her?

She’d done her best to avoid him. And now?

“I have reasons.” Gray held up a finger. “The first one is that if I go, they’ll know I’m carrying. They’ll know I’m prepared for anything, and they’ll be less likely to try something. It might not hold them off forever, but it should make the wedding safe for you.”

She wasn’t convinced.

“Meredith, if I go, there’s little chance of danger. If Mo goes? Not only will you be at risk, but you’ll be putting him at risk as well. I know you don’t want that.”

“Of course not. But I don’t want to put anyone at risk.” She couldn’t very well tell Gray that putting him at risk made her feel queasy.

“Then don’t go to the wedding.”

He had her and he knew it. Jerk. “Fine. You can be my plus-one for the wedding.”

He nodded. It wasn’t a date. He hadn’t invited himself because he was falling for her. He’d invited himself because he was worried about her.

“And you won’t go to Neeson alone?” This came from Mo. For a man who might not survive the night, he was being awfully pushy.

“I won’t go to Neeson alone for any reason.” It wasn’t hard to make that promise. Going to Neeson terrified her.

Not that going to the wedding with Gray wasn’t also terrifying. But her choices were limited. She either risked her life or her heart.

She was pretty sure she was going to lose one or the other.

Gray wanted to lock Meredith in a padded room for her own protection, but locking innocent people up was frowned upon. “I do have another reason for going to the wedding.” His announcement pulled everyone’s attention to him.

“I’ve already talked to Donovan, and what I’m about to tell you can’t leave this group.”

Everyone nodded.

“I can’t go into details, so don’t ask for them. But I want all of you to be on guard. We aren’t the only ones who know things in Neeson are disintegrating. We aren’t the only ones who want to do something about it. We’ve been picking on Meredith tonight.”

“For good reason.” Mo’s stage-whispered comment made Meredith hold her hand up to him.

Her “You’re dead to me” look was met with a grin from Mo.

Gray decided to ignore the exchange. “I can’t make any of you do anything, but I’d prefer it if none of you go to Neeson for the next few months. And Bronwyn?”

Her eyes met his, and they were full of questions. Mo went on alert, and Gray suspected he didn’t realize his demeanor had changed.

“I know you’re above reproach, but you need to be careful at work and around your family. I’m not convinced that Steven was the only Pierce involved in some of the enterprises in Neeson.”

Bronwyn didn’t argue. “I know. My parents are worried. Dad talked to Uncle Ronald and wasn’t pleased with the response. Steven’s parents have circled the wagons around him, and that entire branch of Pierces is furious with our side of the Pierces because we haven’t supported Steven in”—her voice pitched up—“his time of need.”

Her disgust with that statement was evident. “Dad isn’t having it,” she continued. “He’s furious about all of it. He even called Cassie’s dad.”

There was a collective gasp.

“You didn’t tell me that!” Meredith looked torn between excitement and outrage.

“I didn’t know until today. Dad came by the office.” She nodded at Cassie. “He ate at Hideaway and agreed with me that Cassie is the best thing that ever happened to the restaurant.

“Apparently he decided he should call John Quinn and tell him that.”

“Wow.” Cal rubbed his chin.

“I didn’t see that coming.” Cassie’s comment summed it up well.

Bronwyn turned her attention back to Gray. “I appreciate the heads-up. And I am taking it seriously. So is my family. Dad is doing a lot of talking behind the scenes, trying to figure out which factions will be difficult and which will be reasonable. If you know of anything specific, I’d be happy to hear it.”

“I wish I did, but if and when I learn more, I’ll pass it along.” Gray decided to press his luck. “Would you consider a police presence inside the gates of The Haven?”

Bronwyn’s eyebrows nearly flew off her head. “What kind?”

“Random patrols.”

“We have security.”

Gray didn’t react, but they all knew The Haven’s security wasn’t up to snuff. “Think about it. And don’t be surprised when you see more overt law enforcement presence in the general area.”

The long, quiet moment that followed was pierced by Mo’s deep voice. “What are you worried about specifically at The Haven? A threat toward Bronwyn? Or the issue with drugs being sold and used?”

Gray looked at Mo. What he said next would send a ripple through their small group. “Both.”

Bronwyn slumped in her seat while Landry, Cassie, and Meredith all scooted toward the end of their chairs. Cal, Mo, and Donovan gave him nearly identical looks he didn’t need help interpreting. They were ready to protect Bronwyn, no matter the cost.

“I’m not trying to scare you.”

“Sure you are.” Meredith’s eyes flashed in outrage. “And that’s okay. But I’m confused about why they would be coming after either of us.”

“I don’t know what’s going on at The Haven,” Gray said. “I just know there are rumblings about the Pierces being unhappy. And given that Steven was prepared to go farther than anyone expected, I think Bronwyn needs to be on guard.”

Bronwyn met his statement with a nod.

He turned to Meredith. “As for you? You know specifics. Maybe you know more specifics than you realize. Maybe they’ve decided they want you to stay out of Neeson. Maybe today was just about scaring you off. Maybe it was something more. I don’t know. And I don’t know how they’re connected beyond a hunch that some of the criminal element that Steven Pierce was mixed up in is some of the same element who have been sending their kids to your clinic.”

Gray laced his fingers together. “It’s a tangled knot of family ties and outside criminals coming in. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle when we don’t have a picture to go on as a guide. We have lots of pieces. Some of them are definitely border pieces and we’re making progress on that aspect. But the middle? It’s a jumble.”

He turned to Meredith. “I know this is a big ask, but would you be willing to come to my office tomorrow and help me connect some dots?”

“I’m happy to help, but I have a full schedule tomorrow.”

He’d expected that, but he wasn’t ready to give up. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I don’t keep normal hours.”

“Okay. I can come by after my last patient.”

He’d been prepared for her to offer to talk on Saturday. Tomorrow night was far better. “That works for me. Thank you.”

Meredith slid back in her seat. “Now that we’re all depressed and scared, can we talk about something else?”

Her words hit him hard. He knew she hadn’t meant to hurt him. Meredith didn’t go around intentionally being mean. But still. He wanted her to be safe and happy. He didn’t want her to live in fear. Jasmine had lived in fear for most of her eleven years. He would spare Meredith that if he could.

“I tried to teach Cal how to make a vase this week.”

Gray sent Landry an appreciative smile and did his best to keep the conversation going. “How’d he do?”

“It had to be better than the last time.” Mo turned his head and scratched his neck. He mouthed the word “disaster” to everyone.

“It wasn’t a disaster.” Landry’s rebuttal lacked conviction. “It wound up being an ... interesting shape.”

“Why do you keep trying?” Meredith asked. “He’s hopeless!”

Landry leaned into Cal and kissed him. There was no heat in the kiss. Nothing inappropriate. But there was so much tenderness in the moment that Gray looked away.

And when he did, he looked straight at Meredith. And found her looking at him.

Then in a completely junior high move, he bounced his gaze to the fire. And when the opportunity to leave presented itself a few minutes later, he took it.

He was five minutes down the road before the heat left his face and his heart rate settled. He had no idea how he’d survive the next few months of close proximity to Meredith.

But he would. There were lines he couldn’t cross. And she was on the other side.