Single by Saturday

Judy stood behind her parents and glanced around the lobby of the station. She felt the eyes of someone fall on her from across the room. Trying to be careful of who she looked at, Judy removed her phone from her pocket and pretended to read a text as her eyes found those who watched her.

Light green eyes followed her every move. The man who possessed them had military short hair and a neck that was thick enough to bounce baseballs off it. His broad shoulders sat under a jacket that looked too small…or maybe the man was simply too big.

Judy couldn’t stop her eyes from rolling down his frame any more than she could stop the sun from rising. He filled up the small space of the chair he sat in and long legs stretched out in front of him. As her gaze traveled back up his frame, she noticed those green eyes laughing above his dimpled smile.

She jumped and forced her eyes away.

“We’re here for Zach Gardner,” she heard her father tell the officer when the woman managed to hang up the phone.

“Two of you can come back.”

Her mother looked at her and smiled. “Will you be OK here alone?”

“Mom, please. It’s a police station.”

On the other side of the glass, Zach’s parents sat with their backs perfectly straight and their expressions full of shock.

Even though he knew the charges against him were bullshit and that they’d be dropped as soon as light was shed on the entire situation, talking to his parents from jail had to be one of the lowest points in Zach’s life.

“Hey, Dad.”

“What the hell is going on?” Sawyer jumped right to the point.

“I know it looks bad.”

“Do you? Jesus, Zach…you’re in jail.”

Zach glanced behind him at the officer guarding the door. “I’m aware of that.”

“Karen and Nolan are in there with you.”

He nodded. “I know. We need a lawyer.”

Sawyer shook his head, disgust sat deep in his eyes.

“What’s this about, Zach? What did you do?”

The back of Zach’s jaw grew tight. “Nothing. We did nothing wrong. Becky Applegate ran away from home. Karen and I found her and Nolan hiding out and we put them in a hotel until we could get to the bottom of the situation. The kidnapping charge is bogus.”

“You should have just taken Becky home. Kidnapping…they’re charging you with kidnapping.”

Zach glared at his father now. “Am I capable of that, Dad? Do you really think for a f**king minute that is part of my character?”

How dare his father look at him with such accusatory eyes?

When his father didn’t instantly agree that he wasn’t capable of being the monster the police were pointing him out to be, Zach lost it.

“All my life I’ve done everything in my power to please you. Stuck in f**king Hilton, scraping together a construction business…all so I could be there for you and Mom…for everyone.” Behind Zach, he noticed the officer stand taller. His hand reached for the door behind him.

Zach lowered his voice but felt his face heat up. “I’ve always done the right thing. Keeping Becky and Nolan away from her parents was the right thing.”

“Zach, honey…” his mom grabbed the phone from his father’s fingers. “We know you’re not the man they’re accusing you to be. It’s a shock…for both of us to see you here.”

Zach kept glaring at his father. “We need a lawyer, Mom.”

Behind his parents, a man walked in wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. “Mr. and Mrs. Gardner?”

Sawyer turned in his seat. Zach heard some of the man’s words through the phone. “I was hired by Blake Harrison to represent Zach.”

The name sounded familiar but he didn’t understand what was going on until after his parents told them they’d speak with the lawyer after he talked with Zach.

“Mr. Gardner…I’m Ron Bernard. Blake flew me and two of my colleagues in from California to represent you, Karen, and Nolan.”

“Blake who?”

Mr. Bernard sent him a puzzled look. “The duke and duchess?”

Oh, that’s right…Karen’s friends.

“If you’re willing to let me represent you, I’ll have the officer set up a conference room so you and I can talk privately.”

Mr. Bernard looked more capable than any lawyer his parents could possibly come up with, and he saw no need to question Karen’s high-powered friends.

Right now, his main priority was getting them out of jail and to make sure Karen was safe.

“Let’s talk.”

Mr. Bernard smiled and motioned for the officer.

Behind the lawyer, his parents dropped their gazes and walked from the room.

Five minutes later, Zach sat in a conference room explaining what had happened from the moment he left the cabin to the moment the lawyer showed up.

Now all he had to do was wait for a judge to be called in and an arraignment to be set up.

What a day!

Judy found an empty chair away from the massive hottie of a man who watched her.

Unlike any lobby she’d ever sat in, this one had flyers from bail bond agencies and dial a lawyer pamphlets spread on the small table. A middle-aged woman and teenage boy sat at one end of the room, both looked as if they’d slept in the chairs all night.

Green Eyes stood when the door her parents had just walked through opened and an even larger man with a stunning blonde woman walked through. “How is she?” Green Eyes asked.

Judy tried not to listen, but the small lobby made it difficult.

“Worried sick about Becky and Nolan,” the woman said.

With the mention of Becky’s and Nolan’s names, Judy looked at the three people with renewed interest. Were they friends of Karen’s?

“Shouldn’t she be concerned with her own fate?”

“She’s not concerned about herself at all.” The blonde’s polished British accent had Judy sitting forward. Hadn’t Karen told her about her British friend who was married to a retired Marine? The man at her side was certainly large enough to fit the description of ex-military. So was Green Eyes. “I received a message from Samantha. They’ll be here within the hour.”

Judy stood and walked over to the small party. “I’m sorry…are you friends of Karen’s?”

The blonde fixed her eyes on Judy and smiled. “Yes.”

“I’m Judy. Mike’s sister.”

The woman smiled brighter. “I’m Gwen,” she said as she stuck a hand out for Judy to shake. “This is Neil, my husband, and a friend of ours, Rick.”