Page 31 of Break My Fall

He couldn’t allow himself to be caught. Yet the idea of being Meredith’s had his heart doing its best to overrule his brain.

But his brain was in work mode and insisted on staying present,and he caught Meredith’s next words to Lisa. “How about if you sit in the chair, and he comes around to the other side and holds your hand? Would that work?”

Lisa didn’t seem to like it, but she didn’t fight him as he eased her into the dental chair.

“Excellent.” Meredith pointed to the seat where the hygienist usually sat, and he took it. “Gray, go ahead and hold Lisa’s hand. In fact, why don’t you hold both of them.”

Gray leaned forward and grabbed both of Lisa’s hands. He rested all four of their hands on her tiny stomach. Meredith gave him a nod and he understood that one part of his job was to comfort Lisa. The other part was to make sure Lisa didn’t move.

Smart Meredith.

Meredith cajoled and sang and teased until she was able to see the problem teeth. Then she assured, confided, and joked until the teeth in question were no longer jagged and Lisa’s mouth was no longer bleeding.

About halfway through, Lisa’s dad and brother had walked in. The poor man looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to his nose. By tomorrow, he would look like he’d gone a few rounds in the octagon with a mean MMA fighter.

But he gave Gray an appreciative smile, cooed to the son in his arms, and stroked a finger down the cheek of his daughter. There was so much love in this man. He was a big guy. Beard. Kind of rough looking but clearly a marshmallow on the inside. At least where his family was concerned.

Gray had seen it before. This man could hold his own in a fight, but his wife and kids were his whole world.

“Landon Jefferson.” Gray had blanked on his name until he’d introduced himself to Meredith. “Can’t thank you enough, ma’am.” His voice quavered a bit at the end.

“Lisa’s going to need more dental work,” Meredith said. “I’msure you have a dentist at home. You need an appointment with him or her as soon as you can.” She handed Landon her card. “Feel free to have them call me. I’ll send over my notes.”

The car was a total loss, but Doug Quinn had volunteered to drive the family to the hospital in Asheville. They had family meeting them there who could take care of the kids and get them what they needed.

When they drove off, Meredith let out a satisfied sigh. “I love my job.”

NINE

Meredith bumped Gray’s arm. “Are you done for the night? Or do you have to go back to the office and fill out paperwork?”

He couldn’t help but grin at her. She was clearly amped up from her work tonight, and he didn’t mind admitting that it was one of his favorite things about her.

Meredith didn’t help people because she had to or because she should. She helped people because she wanted to. It filled her up and left her overflowing.

“I have to shut down my office. We left in a hurry. But then I’m done. One of the perks of being the chief. The officers have to deal with the paperwork.”

“Don’t they turn that paperwork in to you?”

“Yes. But I don’t have to read it tonight. I can go home, go to bed, and go to sleep.”

“Brilliant.” She beamed at him. “You go home and sleep, Chief. I’m going to go home and ... not sleep.”

He should’ve said good night right then and there. Which is why it made no sense to him that he said, “If you aren’t going to sleep, what are you going to do?”

“No idea.” And he could tell that she didn’t care. “I mightread a book. Or go to the shop and work on some arrangements. Or sit by the firepit until Mo comes out to talk to me. He hates to see me out there alone.” She leaned in closer. “Don’t tell him, but it’s my secret weapon. When he’s been inside too long, or he’s getting all moody and grumpy, I go sit out there by myself. It doesn’t take long. He can’t stand it. So even if he doesn’t want to come out, he will.”

She said that last bit with a little bit of a laugh. “Cal says I shouldn’t manipulate him. I say it’s not manipulation when the person knows they’re being manipulated. Mo knows I’m doing it on purpose, but he can’t stand it, so he caves. Every time. And then I make him talk to me until he’s less of a grouch and more of a teddy bear.”

“Mo? A teddy bear?”

“I’ll have you know that Mo Quinn is a world-class hugger.”

Gray held up his hands. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but it will be okay with me if I never learn that from personal experience.”

“Please.” Meredith waved him off. “Guys need hugs too.”

“They generally prefer those hugs to come from women.”

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