Josh handed Haley over to her. “Why don’t you guys go on in? I’ll catch up.”
Before she could ask what was going on, Josh turned to leave. She called out, “We’ll be way up front, second row on the right.”
Josh just lifted a hand in acknowledgment as he crossed the parking lot.
He’d been acting so weird since the picnic.
Shaking her head, she said to Eric, “Pastor Brian is really loud, so I wish we could sit in the back and save our eardrums, but everyone has their usual spots and we can’t mess up the system. Unfortunately all the Andersons sit right up front.”
Eric nodded. “Because your dad’s the mayor. Makes sense.”
Not to her. She’d always wished she could sit in the back row with Pam. Maybe one of these days she’d do it, just to buck the system. But not today. Today was all about showing everyone she belonged.
Luckily Amber was always late, so Meg nodded and forced smiles at the folks who sent curious glances her way as she walked up the long aisle toward her usual pew in the second row.
Sue Ann, sitting in her spot at the end of the first row, was powdering her nose in the reflection of her little hand mirror. When she turned and greeted them with a smile, Meg wasn’t sure what to do.
“Uh. Morning, Sue Ann. I’d like you to meet Eric. He’s staying with us for the summer.” She turned to Eric. “This is my dad’s wife, Sue Ann.”
Eric stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“We’re glad you’re here, Eric.” Sue Ann shook his outstretched hand.
Holy crap, Batman. Had the whole world gone mad? First her dad bet on her and now Sue Ann was being nice?
After they were settled in, her father slipped beside her and whispered, “I heard about what happened last night after I left.”
Meg’s stomach seized. “Yeah. It wasn’t pretty. You’re lucky you didn’t have to see that. And I’m sorry about that snowball through your office window. I didn’t know about the rock inside.”
“Always figured that was you.” Dad crossed his arms. “Well, at least you didn’t screw up last night. You finally apologized and acted like an Anderson for a change.”
Her jaw was still in her lap as he stood to go take his seat next to Sue Ann. The world had gone mad.
Josh followed a few feet behind Watts and Evans as they slipped around the back of Town Hall. When Josh caught up to them, Watts lifted his chin in greeting. “Thanks for coming.”
The text Josh had just received said they were planning a takedown during the church service.
Josh said, “Why not wait until tomorrow? Arrest them in the office. Doing it here, in front of everyone, is . . .” He wanted to say as cruel as what Meg had to endure the night before, but didn’t. “It could be dangerous. What if one of them has a concealed weapon?”
Evans shook her head. “The warrant will be here any minute. We need to strike now, while we have them contained. One of them could have a friend in the right place who could tip them off. I say we do it and be done with it.”
Watts glanced at Josh. “We just wanted to let you know the plan. They’ve probably started the service by now. You’d better get going.”
Watts’s way of blowing Josh off. “It’d be easier on Meg, and her family, if you didn’t do this in front of the whole town.”
“She has you whipped.” Evans shook her head. “What’s happened to you, Sam? You used to be the biggest hard-ass I knew. It’s like you lost your balls and grew a heart or something.”
He met her gaze and raised a brow. The pain in her eyes betrayed the sharp words. She’d been in love with him, but he’d been honest with her. He didn’t love her back. He used to fear he wasn’t capable of love. Until he’d met Meg. Was Evans trying to hurt Meg to get back at him?
Done with their staring match, she huffed out a breath and looked away. “I just want this over with so I can move on.”
He wasn’t getting anywhere. If that warrant came through, they were going to do it. Best to be with Meg and the kids in case things got rough. “I better go.”
Josh slipped quietly into the back of the church. The pastor was bellowing about the power of forgiveness. That couldn’t be a coincidence. He’d been at the dinner last night too.
Josh quickly moved up the side aisle and then slid into the pew next to Meg. She lifted her hands from her lap in a “where the heck have you been” gesture, so he laid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He whispered in her ear, “Sorry.”
Drawing a deep breath for calm, he considered saying a prayer for that warrant to stay tied up. Doing a takedown during the church service was excessive. But then, Watts always liked to play up the busts big, thinking it made him look better to the brass above. The ass.