Page 5 of First Date: Divorce
Larkin shook his head.“We don’t have time.The only reason we could get me and my— and you — in now is a cancellation.Usually it takes months to get in.We can’t wait that long.The decision on the long-term lease has to be made by the end of the month.In the meantime, people could be hurt.”
She adjusted to those facts.She was used to sorting out situations fast — fights, domestic disputes, accidents, and other law enforcement situations didn’t wait for the responding deputy to line everything up neat and tidy.
“Then we need to start prep immediately,” she said.
Grainger nodded.“Right.Use every minute to learn all the stuff married couples know about each other.Also, that’ll give you both a chance to bone up on what we know about Marriage-Save.”
Learning what most married couples truly knew about each other would take a lot less than a few days.But information on Marriage-Save would help.So would observing how Eric Larkin thought and reacted, especially when it came to maneuvering around him to work the case.
“A few basic facts will do,” Larkin said.“There’s no reason to—”
“Yes, there is,” Bennett said bluntly.“If your stories don’t add up, they’ll smell a rat.K.D.is one hundred percent correct on prep.”
Larkin looked as if he’d keep arguing, but Grainger sent him a look that stopped him.
Interestingly, the look didn’t hold any hint of an order.More like Grainger wanted to laugh and Larkin knew it.Andthat’swhat stopped him from arguing.
Grainger cleared his throat and said, “You need a problem.”
“What?”
“A problem.A reason you’re heading for divorce that you can tell the Marriage-Save people.Something more specific than general incompatibility.Something the counselors can try to fix.A conflict, a core argument — you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”Larkin’s voice was flat.K.D.tucked that observation away for later consideration.
To Grainger she said, “Infidelity?Abuse?”
“Hey!”Larkin objected with an unexpected glint of humor.
She widened her eyes in assumed surprise.“What?I could be the one running around.Or the abuser.”
“Great.We’re getting counseling because you beat on me?Forget trying to save that marriage — I’d divorce you.”
“Too bad more women don’t react that way to abuse.”
“Yes, it is.”
That solid, even response eased one layer of concern.A woman — even a cop — pretending to be married to a stranger needed to know certain things.Though she wouldn’t let down her guard.
“I’m adding that to my list.”Grainger typed into the laptop on his desk.“Need a marital problem.”
The woman sitting on the couch cleared her throat, and every head turned toward her.
“First though, as Eric said at the start, they need to be married,” she said.“That means a wedding.”
CHAPTER TWO
“You’re right, Ellyn.We need a wedding,” said Grainger.
“We can hold it at Far Hills Ranch,” the woman said.From the ring on her left hand, she was married.But not, K.D.thought, to any of the men here.
Grainger dropped his head in agreement and thanks.“Good.”He told Bennett and K.D., “My wife and I were guests at a wedding there, Rebecca and Luke’s.You met them, Eric.Ellyn and the other Far Hills Ranch folks do a great job.Couldn’t put the wedding in better hands.”
“We don’t need a wedding,” K.D.protested as her brain cells reassembled from the shotgun blast of that word.At least she’d stopped herself from sayingwe don’t need no stinkin’ wedding.“The date would be wrong and—”
“We’ll take care of the paper trail,” Grainger said.
“You need wedding photos, Deputy Hamilton,” said the woman named Ellyn.“That’s part of the package Marriage-Save requires clients bring.To have appropriate wedding photos and a video by Friday, we need to put on a wedding and we can’t waste any time.There was a family reunion at Far Hills this past weekend and we can use parts of the setup as a backdrop for a wedding.If we go there now, we can get the wedding preparations started and fill in Deputy Hamilton more — may I call you K.D.?”
