Standing by an old metal desk on the other side of the room, I spot Zac Wright holding Thor tight in his arms. He throws his head back, laughing at something the other officer sitting there is saying.
Who is he to be so light and joyful while holdingmydog?
It takes me only a few strides to cross the room and land in front of Zac. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I stare at the furry ball in his arms. Traitor. If I could scold this dog with my eyes, I would, but it’ll have to wait until we’re in the car. Not that he’ll understand, because we know he won’t. In fact, I’m willing to bet twenty bucks and a really nice five-star dinner out that he’ll do it again later this week.
Dragging my eyes from Thor, they travel upward until slamming into Zac’s. Zac and his bright green eyes, sparkling in the sunshine like he’s a vampire from those oldTwilightmovies. I’d be bothered by this picture of the perfect man in front of me if he wasn’t a pain in my derriere already.
“So.” I hold my hands out to take Thor back. “Looks like I need to apologize. Again.”
“It’s the third time this week, Etta.” A devilish smirk curls his lips as he slowly runs his fingers through Thor’s fur. “I’m beginning to think that you’re sending him here on purpose. Maybe you should start tying notes around his neck for me.”
“Do you really think I want to spend my time coming to the police station every day to pick up my dog?” I reach over and gently take Thor out of Zac’s arms, pulling the little guy close to my body. His big brown eyes meet mine, and somewhere deep in there I swear an apology swirls. Usually his pathetic little side-eye can get me. Cracks me and makes me forget his bad deeds. Ha. Not today, Thor.
“I have not one clue what it is you want to spend your time doing daily, Etta McCoy. Last I checked, you do not come with an owner’s manual.” He walks around and pulls the chair out from under his desk. Lowering himself to the chair, he scoots in and moves some paperwork around, smiling at me smugly as he does so. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am very, very busy.”
A quick glance around the office tells me that one thing Zac is not, is busy. The other officer he shares a desk with, Kenny, has his computer open and appears to be shopping online for a new lawnmower. Two other officers I recognize but don’t know sit quietly at their desks tapping away on keyboards, and, because his office has windows for walls, I can see Sergeant Lane pacing his space while he’s on a phone call.
“I see. It’s all hands on deck here today, huh?” Bending over, I place Thor down on the ground and clip his leash to his collar. “Wow. We’d better get out of the way and fast, before you have to do something crazy like…make a pot of coffee.”
Zac rolls his eyes and pushes himself away from the desk, taking his time to cross his arms in front of his chest as he cocks his head to one side and glowers in my direction.
“You came, you got your dog, now…” He flicks his hand toward the main door. “Show yourself out. Come again.”
“You know, my tax dollars pay your salary, sir. You need to be nice to me.”
“I really don’t think that’s true,” Zac manages to say through a skewed grin. Ugh. I hate that grin. I hate that smirky, sexy, lopsided grin with all of my heart and I want to wipe it off his really handsome face. But, I have enough on my plate today without getting held up here. Glancing at my watch, a rush of cold fluid races through my veins. I’ve got less than twenty minutes to get back home and log in online for my meeting with my lawyer.
“Well, I’d debate this further, but I have to go.” Spinning on my heel, I make my way back through the obstacle course they call an office, stopping as I get to the door, and turning around with some added flair...because, hello. We all need a little drama.
“Oh, and Zac?”
Hopeful green eyes flash my way as Zac looks up at me expectantly.
“Stop luring my dog off my property, will ya? You smell like dog treats.”
* * *
“How is it that he is able to sue me over this?” If I could dramatically fling myself off a cliff right now, I would. “The fact we divorced isn’t good enough, now he’s got to come for me over the rights to the winery?”
“I know it’s a tough situation, but he doesn’t have a leg to stand on. You can rest easy with that.” Alex Miller, my lawyer based in Washington D.C., is way more optimistic about this situation than I am.
“Tough situation? We had an agreement. He got what we created during our marriage. During. For the duration of. Logos, marketing, wines…all that jazz he came up with, with me in our brainstorming meetings, at the time of our marriage. It wasn’t much that he helped with, if we’re being honest, so I feel even acknowledgement of that was quite generous on my part. However, the idea for the urban winery was mine and I had it long before I met Steve. He doesn’t get to use it to make a chain of identical urban wineries in other towns. No, no, no.”
“I am one hundred percent certain we’ll be able to get this excused as a frivolous case in court.” Alex clasps his hands together, his frustration seeping over the computer monitor. “Like I’ve been telling you, he doesn't have anything here for a lawsuit. It can be seen as harassment in the court of law.”
“Ugh.” I cradle my forehead in the palm of my hands. “This is nuts. The fact this has been able to get this far blows my mind.”
“It happens more often than people think. People think they can sue for anything, and they try to. Some do it just to be mean…to harass someone and cause issues. I had this happen with a case over a hedge.”
“Over a hedge? Like bushes?”
Alex’s head bobs up and down. “We got the case dismissed as a frivolous lawsuit and the plaintiff had to pay my client, the defendant, a nice hefty fine plus all of their lawyer’s fees.”
“That’s the kicker, isn’t it? That as the defendant, I need to retain a lawyer.” Not that I could afford any of this right now, mind you. Steve had decided that not only could I not open another business like the one I used to have, but he also had held onto the money he owed me when I sold my share of the business. “Speaking of retaining—because retainers make me think of money, which makes me think of how I have none until this is over—how are we with getting him to release the funds he owes me?”
“His lawyer told me he isn’t budging. We’re going to have to wait for a judge to order him to release the funds.” Alex tosses me a sad smile. “Wish I could do more right now, but we have to wait for our day in court.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.” I exhale the longest sigh of my life. “I need a nap.”
