Running From the Law

by Albright, Jami

  Charlie examined the officer’s beautiful face, smooth skin, and rock-hard body as she exited the kitchen. “Agent Murphy.”

  She stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

  “Are you one of those women who would appreciate Hank?”

  The woman’s cop stare had a flirty edge to it. “In a heartbeat. But he’s so in love with you that he wouldn’t see another woman if she danced naked in front of him with hundred-dollar bills hanging from her ears.”

  “What’s your first name, Agent Murphy?”

  “Julie.”

  “Stay away from Hank, Julie.”

  Murphy snorted. “Like you care.”

  She did care. She cared very much.

  * * *

  “Good news! We’re getting out of here.”

  Charlie glanced up from her book to see Murphy in her bedroom doorway, phone in hand.

  “Really, when?” After their conversation that morning, there’d been an uneasy peace between them.

  “Right now. Grab your things, and I’ll drive you back to Zachsville.”

  Charlie glanced at the bedside clock. It was ten at night. But it didn’t matter—she just wanted to go home.

  Murphy tapped the door jamb. “I’ll meet you at the front door.”

  Charlie flung back the covers and stood. The moment her feet hit the ground a pain low in her belly sliced through her. Sometimes she forgot her big-as-a-house size, and that sudden movements weren’t a good idea.

  The ride to Zachsville was quiet. That was one of the things she appreciated about Agent Murphy—she only spoke when she had something to say. Her hard truths from this morning hadn’t gone unnoticed. Her words had pounded on the door to Charlie’s heart all day and made her do some serious soul-searching.

  For the last eight years, and probably even before then, she’d let other people do her heavy lifting. It was easier to avoid conflict and not have to deal with overbearing personalities, but mostly it was just easier. She’d liked easy. It kept you deaf, dumb, and blind to the challenges of life, but it also made you a bystander in your life.

  When she’d decided she was going to start making some of her own decisions, her solution had been to run in the face of difficult circumstances. She’d run from Hank in his hotel room, from her wedding, and she’d been relieved to run away from Hollywood due to her Pops’ accident. But that wasn’t her anymore. Over the last eight months, she’d learned to face her problems and not run from them.

  Not letting Hank explain when he’d come to get her out of that cell was a classic example of the old Charlie. She’d done the same thing after their night in Austin, and when he and Karen broke up for good. Shame washed over her. Once again, she’d assumed the worst of him instead of letting him explain.

  Her grandfather’s house was dark except for a lamp in the living room. She’d called Pops once Murphy had returned her phone to tell him she was on her way home. He’d wanted to wait up for her, but she’d made him promise that he’d go to bed.

  The car rolled to a stop and Agent Murphy put it in park. “You’ll understand if I don’t walk you to the door.”

  She laughed. This woman was a piece of work. “I understand.” She gathered her belongings and opened the door. Her lower back ached like crazy and was beginning to seize up on her. “It kills me to say this, but thank you.”

  Julie Murphy cocked a grin at her. “Hank and I will be sure to wave to you when we see you around.”

  With a hand on the door for support, Charlie hoisted herself from the car, then poked her head back in. “Not unless you want me to smack you in the face again. He’s mine.”

  Murphy laughed. “Bring it, sister.”

  One thing had become abundantly clear throughout the day. She couldn’t live one more day without Hank in her life. Murphy was right, he was one of the good ones, and she’d be a fool to let him go. They’d work it out. She was unsure how at the moment, but she still had faith in them, and that was all that mattered.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Charlie stared at the ceiling. Between the pain in her back and Pod sticking summersault landings on her bladder she’d hardly slept at all. If the back pain didn’t improve today, then she’d have to call the doctor and see if there was anything she could take. If she was going to figure out her life she needed to do it with as little pain as possible.

  First thing on her list was find Hank, give him a chance to explain, then forgive him. She wasn’t wasting one more minute without him.

  The second thing was to reschedule the opening of the store. Yes, not opening when she’d planned was a setback, and being arrested had caused a bit of a scandal. She’d watched the entertainment reports during her stay at the safe house, and it was all they could talk about. Child star arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling. As they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Sometimes being notorious was just as good as being famous. Bottom line, nothing was ruined, she’d figure it out, and it would all be okay because she wouldn’t stop until it was.

  Her phone rang. She checked the screen—it was Honey. “Hello.”

  “Charlie?” Honey shouted over the noise in the background.

  “Yes, Honey. It’s me. Where are you?”

  “I can’t hear you over all this racket.”

  She raised her voice so the older woman could hear her. “I said, it’s me, Honey.”

  “Darlin’, there’s no need to yell.”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  Honey seemed to move to a quieter place because the chatter died down some. “Don’t be sorry, just get your heinie down here right now. We’re swamped.”

  Confusion clouded Charlie’s brain. What in the world was Honey talking about? “Where are you?”

  “I’m at The Emporium, and there’s a line out the door. We need your help.” The line went dead. Charlie stared at her phone like it might give her the answers to all the questions rolling around in her head. It didn’t.

  As fast as she could, she crawled out of bed and dressed. Some concealer, mascara, a quick braid of her hair, and she was out the door. Pops wasn’t at home, but the Buick was in the garage. When she pulled up to The Emporium, there was indeed a line out the door. A big pink and black Grand Opening sign hung suspended over the front door, and the media was bunched together snapping photos. “What in the world?” When she’d been hauled off in handcuffs five days ago, the store wasn’t ready for the grand opening.

  One of the paparazzi caught sight of her as soon as she exited the car. The rapid-fire questions and the sound of cameras clicking barely fazed her as she elbowed her way from the car to the front door. “Excuse me. I need to get in.”

  “So do we, wait your turn,” a woman wearing a pink tee that read, Free Charlie said. Her dark hair made the hot pink of the shirt pop.

  “I’m the owner.”

  “Oh, my Lord, it’s you.” She gestured to several women with her who were sporting their own pink Free Charlie shirts. “We’re here to support you. You go, girl.”

  Charlie noticed then that all the women in line were wearing Free Charlie t-shirts. “Where did you get the tees?” she asked the woman with the dark hair.

  “Oh, they handed them out to the first two hundred people in line. Great idea, by the way.” She held her fist in the air. “Girl power!”

  Charlie was so stunned that she barely noticed when the lady shoved her to the front of the line.

  Her little store was packed with pink-shirt-clad women. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She scanned the crowd and saw all of her friends pitching in and helping. Scarlett and Luanne were seeing to customers on the floor, Hailey and Roxanne were running the two registers, and Honey and Wardell were allowing people into the shop as others left. Even Gavin and Jack were helping. Tears floated behind her lids.

  A familiar blonde with cat-eye glasses hurried up to her. “Marci?”

  Her former publicist threw her arms around Charlie and hugged her tight. “Charlie. I
’ve missed you.”

  She disentangled herself from the woman’s grip. “What are you doing here?” A horrible thought occurred to her. “Is Ron here?”

  “I’m here to help. When your fiancé contacted me—”

  “Hank contacted you?”

  Marci nodded. “He had some questions for me about Ron, and when he found out I’d quit working for Gaylord Entertainment, he asked if I’d like to help with your grand opening. The shirts were my idea. What do you think?”

  “They’re… Marci, I can’t afford you.” Her brain hadn’t caught up with what was going on around her.

  Sadness clouded Marci’s eyes. “I’m not charging you. I’m doing this for a friend, if she’ll still have me? Especially after I let Ron bully me into abandoning you. I’m so sorry.”

  Charlie would have to sort out her feelings about all of this later, but right now she was glad to see Marci. “Of course I’ll still have you. And the shirts are brilliant. But what did Hank want to ask you about Ron?”

  Marci glanced over Charlie’s shoulder and smiled. “I’ll let him explain.” She squeezed Charlie’s hand then disappeared into the crowd.

  She followed Marci’s gaze and her heart about burst from her chest. Hank was making a beeline for her. “Hey.” His tentative greeting spiked her guilt. She’d behaved so badly by not letting him explain.

  “Hey.”

  “I’m sorry,” they both said together. Then they laughed. He guided her through the crowd to the backroom.

  “You did all of this?” Her voice was as watery as Honey’s oatmeal.

  “Yes. I’ve also got a list of other suppliers who sell top-of-the-line products, for when you’re ready.”

  The tears that had pooled in her eyes at the sight of her friends spilled over and ran down her face.

  “Aw, baby, don’t cry.” He gently wiped the moisture from her cheeks.

  She stepped as close as she could get to him with Pod between them, and raised up onto her toes. Her lips slid over his in an all-too-brief kiss. “Thank you…for everything.”

  His arms went around her, and his smile was brilliant. “You’re welcome.”

  They stood like they were the only ones in the whole store, just holding each other. “I mean, for everything. For trying to protect me, and for the clothes at the safe house, and for being such a good man.”

  “How did you know about the clothes?”

  Her fingers toyed with the hair at the back of his neck. “Agent Murphy. She’s a real gem, by the way.”

  He snorted. “Tell me about it.”

  “Honestly, she helped me see what an idiot I was being. Of course, she was her ultra-charming self when she did it, but I got the message. I am so sorry for the terrible things I said to you.” The regret in her throat chewed up the words and spit them out of her mouth.

  “I’m the one who’s sorry—”

  “You don’t have to be.”

  “I love you, Charlie. I want to tell you the whole story.”

  “And I’ll let you, but not right now. Tell me why Marci is here. She said you called her.”

  A huge grin spread across his face. “I did. I’ve had a suspicion since you found out about your credit and all the accounts that were opened. So I did a little digging, and turns out that Ron used one of those credit cards to pay for your marriage license here in Blister County.”

  “What?”

  “Yep.”

  “So Ron opened all those credit cards?” The bomb he’d just dropped made the room swim.

  “Some of them. But you were right about your mom opening the majority of them. I’m sorry about that, Charlie.”

  She waved off his concern. Her mother had no place in this amazing day. “Just tell me how this involves Ron.”

  “Well, since I’m the law here in Blister County, I can issue a warrant for his arrest, which I’ve done.” He checked his watch. “The authorities in LA should be picking him up right about now.”

  Talk about needing time to unpack these emotions. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Say you love me.”

  She readjusted her position against him. “I love you, Hank. Um… Will you marry me?”

  He laughed, then took her face in his hands and crushed his lips to hers. “Of course I’ll marry you. We’ll do it tomorrow if you like.”

  She shook her head. “Tomorrow’s too late. Marry me now.” She could hear the panic ruffling her voice.

  “Why?”

  “Because my water just broke.”

  Epilogue

  Charlie swiped at the gauzy material stuck to her sweaty face. “Honey, if you don’t get that veil off my face, I’m going to climb down off this bed and strangle you with it.”

  Honey laughed. “You and what army?” She readjusted the piece of white fluff and slid the attached comb into Charlie’s bun. “You’re hardly in any shape for hand-to-hand combat. Even with my bunion, I could take you. Now hush and concentrate on your breathing, and not what I’m doing.”

  The murderous look she shot Honey would’ve crushed the emotions of a weaker person.

  But it had zero effect on Honey, who stepped back and observed her handiwork. “Be careful, darlin’, or your eyes will get stuck like that.”

  “Breathe with me, Charlie,” Hank crooned softly to her. He was freaking out a little. She couldn’t blame him. Pod wasn’t due for several more weeks, but the doctor had assured them this was perfectly normal.

  Pain slid from her body like it had never been there, and guilt took its place. “Oh, my gosh, Honey. I’m so sorry.”

  Honey waved her off. “Nothing to be sorry for. You worry about getting that baby here safely. Hank, Wardell, and I will worry about everything else.” She pulled a bouquet of flowers from her bag and set it on the table next to Charlie’s bed.

  Pops tied a bunch of balloons to the back of the rocking chair in the corner. “Hank, when is JP Norris going to get here?”

  “He’s here.” Larry Norris strolled into the room in his fishing vest and hat. “Sorry it took me so long to get here, but I was on the lake when Hank called.”

  Oh, thank God. She hadn’t told any of them, but she was pretty sure Pod was very close to crashing this wedding.

  Hank extended his hand to Larry. “Not a problem. You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

  The JP went to the sink and washed his hands. “Do you have the marriage license?”

  Hank looked at her, wild-eyed. She pointed to her bag. “In the inside pocket.” Oh, shit, another contraction wracked her body. Her eyes closed, and she sucked in a pained breath through her nose. Crap, this one was barely three minutes from the last.

  “I’ll get it, Hank.” Honey began rifling through Charlie’s bag. “You just take care of her.”

  “I’m right here, baby. You’re doing great.” She leaned to the side, and he pressed the heel of his hand into her lower back. “That’s right, slow and steady.” As her breathing eased, he took the washcloth the nurse had given him and wiped her forehead. “That’s it. One more deep breath in and out.”

  She relaxed against the bed then smiled up at him. “You’re pretty good at this.” She smoothed the worry line between his eyes with her finger. “How are you doing?”

  He chuckled and lowered his brow to hers. “I’m about to lose my shit. How are you?”

  “I’m fantastic. There’s no place I’d rather be and no one I’d rather be doing this with.” He went a little blurry when tears washed across her vision. “I love you.”

  He placed a kiss as soft as a baby’s skin on her dry lips. “I love you.”

  Larry made his way to the other side of the bed. “Are you sure you want to do this now, Charlie?”

  Was she sure? She’d been waiting half her life for this moment. “Nothing’s going to stop me, Larry.”

  He glanced at Hank. “Is she on any medication? She needs to be able to make a clear-headed decision.”

&n
bsp; Hank squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you ask her? She knows her own mind.”

  If it was possible to fall more in love with him, then she just did. She knows her own mind. If she weren’t already about to marry him, then she’d throw herself at him and beg him to never leave. “Larry, I’m not on any medication, and I’d really like to be, so can we move this along?”

  Hank laughed. “You heard the lady.”

  “Alright, then let’s get this done.” Larry pulled a laminated card from his back pocket.

  “We’re here today—”

  Another contraction ripped into her like a wolf with its next meal. Pressure moved along her tailbone inch by excruciating inch. She gasped and made a move-it-along motion with her hand. Little puffs of air swooshed in and out of her nose. Yep, this was definitely about to happen. “Honey, call my nurse,” she ground out between rhythmic respirations.

  “On it.” The woman who’d become so important to her grabbed the bouquet of flowers and shoved it into Charlie’s hands, then dialed the number on the nurse’s station.

  “Charlie?” Hank’s eyes communicated that he knew they were running out of time.

  Her hand went over his. “I’m okay.”

  Larry looked a little shell-shocked. “I think we should wait until you’re more…comfortable, Charlie.”

  “No!” Pant.

  “I’m fine.” Pant.

  “Let’s do this.” Pant.

  “A…alright. If you’re sure.” Larry rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you, Hank, take Charlie to be your wife?”

  “Yes.” His brilliant smile eased some of the pain slicing through her.

  “Do you, Charlie, take Hank to be your husband?”

  A short respite from the pain eased through her, and she took full advantage of it. “Yes! One million times, yes!” The tears streamed down her face like a joyful river.

  Dual sniffles sounded from the sofa where Honey and Wardell sat cuddled together.