Free Save the Date by Jenny B Jones Page A

he had. Aren’t you tired of living safe?”
    Yes, as a matter of fact she was. But that didn’t mean she wanted to swim with sharks.
    “I save your house, while you save your girls. And I get my ticket to Washington, where I can make a difference. And something tells me, you don’t want this town to see you fail. All you have to do is go on a few dates and pretend you like me.”
    “You do know I don’t like you, right? We’re clear on that?”
    “My pride is bleeding, but I can deal with that.” His eyes sparkled in the candlelight. “What do you say?”
    “I—” Lucy’s phone buzzed in the purse at her feet. “I, um, better get that.” Grateful for the interruption, she checked the display. “Hello? Yes, this is she.” Dread soaked into her spine as she listened to the frantic voice on the other end. “Okay. Don’t panic. I’ll be at the police station as soon as I can.” She punched a button and ended the call. “I have to go.”
    His forehead wrinkled in a frown. “What’s the problem?”
    “A new girl who visited Saving Grace. She’s been picked up.”
    Alex stood up as Lucy came to her feet. “I’ll drive you.”
    “No.” She held out a halting hand. “Thank you.”
    He stepped in front of her, blocking her exit, moving into her personal space like it was just another thing he owned. “Think about what I said. Your girls need you.”
    She shook her head. “Not at this cost.”
    “Wait.” Pulling out a folded check from his pocket, he opened her fingers and placed it in her palm.
    “What’s this?”
    His warm hand closed over hers. His eyes seared. “That, my lady disdain, is your future.”
    Lucy’s phone buzzed again. “I really have to go.”
    “Be careful driving.” He turned back toward the table. “We have a wedding to plan.”

Chapter Eight
    I t was impossible. Unthinkable.
    Alex Sinclair had to be out of his mind. A life of excess and too many quarterback sacks had robbed him of logical thought. A post-dated check for two million dollars? It was an unfathomable amount of money to her, but probably a small cut of Alex’s argyle sock allowance. She couldn’t wait to tell Morgan this one. Lucy, from the wrong side of the tracks, engaged to Alex Sinclair, professional football’s Playboy.
    Lucy walked through the Charleston police department. Never having been there, she simply stared wide-eyed until someone noticed her.
    “Can I help you?”
    A man in cuffs burst through the entrance, held up by two officers on either side, yelling obscenities. The uniformed woman in front of her didn’t even blink.
    “Don’t worry. That’s Abe McGillis.” She rolled her eyes. “He gets drunk every few days, stands on the Exchange building steps, and preaches about the dangers of tattoos, the Internet, and red-headed women. Can I help you?”
    Lucy tore her eyes away from the raving Abe. “Yes, I got a call from Marinell Hernandez.”
    “Are you her guardian? Because she says she doesn’t have one.”
    “She doesn’t. Eighteen. On her own.” Lucy struggled to focus her spinning thoughts. “Where is she?”
    “Come on back.”
    The woman led Lucy into an office in need of a few windows. Lit only by a weak fluorescent, it was a grim room to send a scared teenager into.
    “I’m Detective Benningfield.” A tall man with hair graying at the temples shook Lucy’s hand. Beside his desk sat Marinell, looking defiant as she clutched a juice box.
    “I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
    “We just brought her in here so we could talk,” Benningfield said. “And to get her some food. I don’t think she’s eaten in days. Are you a family member?”
    Marinell shot a glance at the fair-skinned Lucy. “Yeah, we’re twins.”
    “I’m with Saving Grace.” God, let this be an easy fix tonight. Because I have no idea how I’m going to tell this girl I can’t let her stay at Saving Grace now . “And I’m her friend.”
    “My guys were on patrol about an hour ago. Been