Page 9 of Break My Fall

“They’re gorgeous, and they never die.” Meredith defended her creations. And she wasn’t wrong. Gray had never paid any attention to flower arrangements until Meredith had brought a bouquet to the station that even he had to acknowledge was stunning.

When he realized that the flowers were made from paper-thin sheets of wood that had been shaped and dyed, he couldn’t believe it. And then she casually mentioned that she’d been the one to design and dye each flower and that she’d created the arrangement.

He’d made sure the flowers were in a prominent spot, and he smiled to himself every time he saw them.

Not that he told her that.

“What does Donovan want you to do?”

Meredith groaned. “He wants me to make an arrangement so gaudy it could possibly cause permanent retinal damage to anyone who views it for more than a few seconds. And he wants me to present it to Cassie as the real thing. I’ve tried to explain to him that no one pranks their bride on their wedding day.”

Gray adjusted his belt. “Can you make the arrangement? I mean, is it possible to make it?”

“Yes, but—”

“Why don’t you make it and let him have his funbeforethe wedding. She could carry it during the rehearsal, and then it can be the bouquet she tosses during the reception.”

Meredith gaped at him for a few seconds, then threw her arms around him. She squeezed him close and then leaned back and looked into his face. “Gray! You’re a genius!”

Eyes alight, she looked at Donovan. “What do you think?”

Donovan rubbed the back of his neck. “I think it’s great, but if it’s all the same to you, I’m not going to squeeze the stuffing out of Gray to express my approval.”

Meredith, body still pressed to Gray’s, hands still on his arms, scrunched up her face at Donovan, then turned a radiant smile on Gray. “I’m so happy! Thank you!” She rose on her tiptoes, and before he saw it coming, planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she hugged him again before releasing him to run over to Mo.

Gray stood frozen in place. He heard her explaining his solution to “this bouquet issue that’s been giving me literal nightmares” to her brother, but he couldn’t quite get his brain and body in sync. He should move. He should get in his car.

He should drive far, far away from Meredith Quinn.

But five minutes later, he was in his car, following Meredith to her parents’ home.

THREE

Meredith checked her rearview mirror.

Still there.

Gray was following her home, as promised.

She’d kissed him. What had she been thinking? It wasn’t that big of a deal. She liked Donovan. A lot. And she loved Cassie. She was so happy for them and so excited about their pending nuptials. Cassie had a very specific idea in mind for her flowers, and Meredith had used up far too many brain cells trying to figure out how to redirect Donovan from making a truly horrible mistake.

Gray’s solution was fabulous, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. She’d overreacted. She’d been goofy and ridiculous, and in her glee, she’d kissed Gray’s face.

Ten minutes outside of town, her phone rang. She answered it through the Bluetooth. “Beep! What’s up?”

“That’s what we want to know,” Bronwyn said. “I have you on speaker. I’m with Landry. Cal’s on the phone with Mo. But Cal is just doing a lot of grunting, and we can’t figure out what’s going on. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Meredith broke down the events of the morning. “I’m almost back in town. Donovan’s going to peel off and returnto the police station. Gray’s following me to Mom and Dad’s. Then he’ll give me a ride back to my office to get my car.”

“Someone punctured your fuel line.” Landry, Cal’s wife, chimed in. “Why? What were they hoping to accomplish?” Given that Landry had been targeted by a stalker a year ago, her questions held an edge of worry that didn’t surprise Meredith.

“I don’t know. I’m sure Gray will do everything he can to find out. But I was in Neeson County.”

“You’re going to have to stay out of there.” Bronwyn used her CEO tone.

Their friendship had resolidified enough over the past couple of years that Meredith wasn’t afraid to push back. “I’m not your employee.”

“I never said you were. But I’m sick and tired of my friends and employees being in danger. First Landry. Then Cassie. Now you? It needs to stop.”

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