The police station was already surrounded by dozens of reporters when Claire and Apollo were dragged inside, still cuffed, still bickering. Claire’s glare could have melted steel; Apollo, despite limping from her kick, puffed his chest like the hero of the day.
"I saved her life Watkins," he insisted.
Claire sneered. "It was murder."
The sheriff winced, like he had a headache.
Within minutes, chaos arrived. Apollo’s army of lawyers stormed in, briefcases snapping open like weapons. They looked like they had come for a merger and acquisition. They surrounded him, adjusting ties, whispering strategy, already drafting motions to dismiss and sue Claire.
Apollo was very loud with his defense. "I was protecting my baby."
"Baby?" Claire spat, eyes narrowing. "You mean my baby? I would rather have it adopted by wolves than be claimed by you!"
Before Apollo and his lawyers could respond, Claire’s family burst through the doors, her mother clutching like her chest and for some reason, carrying a feather duster! Her father was red-faced with fury. Behind them came grandma Wilder, who wasted no time unleashing a torrent of curses so colorful the officers winced.
After taking a deep breath, she pointed to the sheriff and said, "Of all the damn tooting mistakes you could make, you arrested my granddaughter? Do you have mashed potatoes for brains? Take off those cuffs before the Knitting club gets even with you."
Donovan, Claire’s grandfather was calmer but stern. He exchanged a weary look with sheriff Watkins--his cousin. "I am sorry that you are always getting caught in family business."
Sheriff Watkins groaned. "When you said the girl has a resemblance to Wilder, you forgot to mention that it was her temper, not looks."
The station filled with overlapping voices: lawyers citing statutes, Wilder swearing vengeance. Victor was demanding explanations and Donna was fussing over Claire, wondering how a visit to a doctor had resulted in handcuffs.
Apollo shouted over everyone. "Again, I was saving her life! She was about to jump because her ex is marrying her cousin!"
Claire’s shriek cut through his claim. "I was saving an important document, not ending my life. You nearly killed me with your hero complex!"
Wilder jabbed her cane at Apollo’s chin. "You’re no savior, you’re a curse wrapped in expensive cologne. I believe my granddaughter, she has honest eyes. Not you--your eyes are shifty, like a rat sneaking through a rice sack, chewing holes where no one asked."
Claire sniggered, while Apollo huffed. He couldn’t help thinking that the old woman was as terrible as her granddaughter.
"Be careful with this one Watkins," Wilder continued jabbing at Apollo. "He is an Ashford. They are like foxes at a henhouse door these Ashfords, always pretending to admire the architecture before pouncing."
Apollo pushed the cane to the side. "Ma’am, you are entitled to your opinion, but I disagree with it. Claire is carrying my child. Even if we assume she was not trying to kill herself, she still climbed the ledge. Do you know how dangerous that was? I saved her life."
"Wait--" Wilder gasped. "Did you just say that Claire is carrying your child?"
Apollo nodded firmly. "Yes."
The Danes gasped. They all thought back to Wilder’s suggestion on finding a fake father for Claire’s baby. Their eyes widened as they wondered if this was related to it. Had Claire gone out and found herself a baby daddy?
Claire rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, he has really lost it!" She truly couldn’t tell why Apollo was determined to claim her child. Was it a new way of attempting to disgust her? She pointed from Apollo to the sheriff. "I think he needs a psychiatrist."
"Claire, shut up." Wilder snapped in a hurry. She looked at the sheriff and smiled in a way that made him shudder. "Yes, this is the father of Claire’s baby. They had a couple’s fight on the rooftop which they have resolved. We won’t be troubling you anymore."
Claire’s jaw dropped. "Grandma!"
"Absolutely," Victor loudly added. "If there is a fine to pay, we will handle it. If there is nothing else, we would like to take our daughter and son-in-law home."
The sheriff put his hands on his waist, huffing in disbelief. Wilder and Victor almost sounded like robots that had been programmed to lie. Did they think he couldn’t smell a rat? He turned to his cousin. "Donny, anything to say to me?"
Donovan shook his head. "Family is complicated, what can I say?"
The sheriff turned to Apollo and he shrugged. "Yes, we are all family." He faked a smile and said stiffly, "One big happy family."
"You just said the Ashford’s are like foxes and he is like a rat and all that!" The sheriff exclaimed, turning to Wilder. "Suddenly you want me to believe that all of you are family?"
Wilder waved her hand dismissively. "Bah! I am an old woman; I say a lot of things that are not true sometimes. Just yesterday I told Miranda Sandman that I saw you pee outside Annie’s flower shop like a drunk tomcat marking territory that wasn’t his!"
The room froze. Everyone knew it was nonsense because Annie Bowman was the sheriff’s ex-wife. Those two hated each other more than an angel and a demon. Unless it was official business, you would never see them in the same place. Briarshore was a big town, but when it came to gossip, it could be small. So, everyone knew this fact like they knew the sun rose from the East every morning.
Still, the image was so vivid that even Apollo’s lawyers stifled laughter.
The sheriff’s face turned crimson, veins bulging. He slammed his fist on the desk and roared. "OUT! All of you, OUT of my station!"
Neither side wanted to be in the station longer than necessary. They all rushed out of the station, heading in different directions.
Apollo knew following Claire would not have a good result today, so he planned to surprise her tomorrow. Enemies or not, they had a baby on the way. It was time to bury the hatchet.
In the backseat of her father’s pickup, Claire was staring at her grandmother with a sharp glare. "No, not him. Absolutely not. Not even if he is the last man on earth."
Her grandmother laughed in response. "I am afraid that ship has sailed, Claire. Think of it this way: he is your age, rich, handsome, a resident of this town and from a family Andrew and Ritah will never dare to cross. Best of all, he is willing to take on this hot potato. Name another convenient candidate better suited to be your umbrella other than him?"
Sadly, Claire could not name a single one.