Page 39 of Break My Fall

“You always make enough for a crowd, Mama.” Meredith shared a look with Mo. “Not that we’re complaining.”

“Of course you aren’t. I have to make enough for a crowd because on the rare occasions I don’t make enough to send home, you two get all pitiful and dramatic about it.” She turned to Gray. “They’re shameless.”

“It’s not our fault you’re the best cook in the family.” Mo took another serving and piled it on his already empty plate. “We’re spoiled.”

“Oh, you’re spoiled all right.” Jacqueline winked at Mo, and to Gray’s astonishment, Mo blew her a kiss. It was clearly a long-standing tradition between them, because she caught the kiss and then brought her fist to her lips. And then, without missing a beat, she looked at Meredith and said, “Merry-girl, what did you ever decide to do about Cassie’s bouquet?”

Merry-girl? Gray had been around the Quinns a lot, and he’d never heard that nickname. He hadn’t been around Jacqueline Quinn much, and never in as intimate a setting as a family meal. But he understood now why the whole family adored her and why she was Cal’s favorite aunt even though he would never admit it.

She made everything comfortable and somehow managed to make him feel like he was one of them rather than what he was—an outsider intruding on their time together.

The meal was so enjoyable that Gray almost forgot about the weird tension he’d sensed from Meredith and the cool way Mo had welcomed him.

Almost.

Under their mother’s influence, both of them warmed up and the conversation flowed easily. Meredith talked about the crazy bouquet she was making for Cassie’s rehearsal, and Mo entertained them with his latest adventures with Abby and Eliza.

But when Jacqueline—he would never get used to that—brought a chocolate pie to the table, there was a shift in the atmosphere he couldn’t quite figure out.

After everyone had their pie and those who wanted coffee were sipping decaf, Doug said, “Gray, we have a rule in this house. No heavy stuff during dinner.”

“That’s because everyone knows that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” Jacqueline tapped her pie. “Dinner is for conversation. Dessert is for communication.”

“That’s Mom’s way of saying we play nice during dinner and get serious during dessert.” Mo picked up his coffee mug. “Depending on what’s going on, sometimes that saying is switched up.”

“‘Dessert is for confrontation.’” Meredith made big eyes at everyone. “That’s always fun.”

Mo raised his mug to Meredith in an air toast. “Let’s not forget ‘Dessert is for confession.’ That one’s a real winner.”

Doug wiped his face with his napkin. “My personal favorite was ‘Dessert is for conflagration.’ That one was very popular when they were teenagers and if you looked at them funny, they lost their tempers.”

“I’m shocked that you only remember the negative options.” Jacqueline feigned outrage. “There were positive ones too. ‘Dessert is for celebration’ comes to mind.”

“Nice try, Mom.” Mo squeezed his mom’s hand. “I’m afraid that’s not what we’re dealing with tonight.”

“No. Tonight is definitely not a celebration.” Jacqueline blew out a deep breath and turned to her husband. “Okay, honey. Take it away.”

Doug nodded gravely. “I have to give credit to Gray for insisting we look over Meredith’s 4Runner. There were location trackers on both your 4Runner and Flossy.” Doug patted Meredith’s hand. “Baby girl, I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, but we have to figure it out before someone gets hurt.”

“I know, Daddy.” Meredith gave him a gentle smile.

Mo rested his elbows on the table. “Gray and I talked this afternoon. I did a little bit of digging around, and I think I have what you need.”

“What who needs?” Meredith asked.

Gray jumped into the fray. “I asked Mo if he had a way to check for bugs. He’s already checked this house, and it’s clean. But we need to check your house tonight. And your shop. And your office.”

Meredith’s face paled. “You think someone bugged my house?”

“I think it’s more likely that they’ve bugged your office. Mo’s security around your home is tight, and it would be very difficult for anyone to find a way onto the property, much less get inside, without triggering an alarm. They, whoever they are, might havea better shot at getting into your shop, but I think the likelihood is small. Still, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t check.”

“I think you need to come back to our place tonight, Gray. We’ll scan everything.” Mo held out a hand toward Meredith when she huffed. “Not optional. I agree with Gray. It’s unlikely, but I won’t rest until we know for sure. And tomorrow we’ll check your office.” He frowned. “Or, maybe Monday. I don’t want to make it obvious that we’re looking.”

Gray considered that. “Let’s wait until we see if there’s anything in your home. Then we’ll decide.”

“Wait.” Meredith held up a hand. “Why are we checking for bugs? That’s not the same as the tracking device. I thought it was a location tracker. That would just tell people where I was.”

“That’s true.” Mo nodded at Gray.

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