The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1)(24)

A curve of his lips was his only reply. Murmuring a thanks, Zoey unlocked the phone and found Lana’s name, although she half expected him to have her listed as the single letter. The lump of ham and cheese in her now occupied fingers slipped and fell next to her foot as she made the call. Zoey absently picked it up and set it on the bench between her and Graham as Lana’s phone went to voicemail.

“Lana, this is Zoey. I’m in—”

“Jail,” Graham provided.

“It’s not jail. It’s a holding pattern. I’m in a holding pattern, and I need you to come pick me up. I don’t even know where this place is, but it’s a tiny little pretend police station on the far side of town, and my phone won’t work in here. Please, call me on Graham’s phone. Or just come down here.”

Handing the phone back to Graham, Zoey exhaled a sigh of relief. Feeling his eyes on her, she glanced over at him. “What?”

“Are you going to eat that?”

“It was on the floor.”

“It was wrapped.”

With a sigh, Zoey passed him the sandwich. Destroying it in several large bites, Graham left his ice pack on the bench and went to the entrance of the drunk tank. Raising his voice, Graham smacked his forearm on the bars hard enough to cause a loud bang to echo through the building. “Yo, Jonah. Hey, buddy, speed it up. She needs out of here.”

Then Graham sat down next to her, and—much to Zoey’s surprise—he offered his hand to her, palm up. “I’m scared,” he said in way of explanation.

Rolling her eyes, Zoey huffed a soft laugh. “Yeah, I bet.” Still, at his gentle smile, Zoey found herself pressing her sweaty, nervous hand against his ice-chilled one.

Zoey waited, but Lana never showed up. However, Jonah returned, a concerned expression on his face.

“I have bad news. I talked to the chief in Anchorage. Assault is something the DA takes very seriously. She wants me to take you to Anchorage and book you. The DA is pressing charges.”

Shooting to her feet, Zoey shook her head, alarmed at the turn of events. “It wasn’t assault. He didn’t actually attack me.”

The police officer cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Actually, ma’am, you’re the one being charged with assault. And breaking and entering.”

“I was hiding from Reindeer Dog Jason over here!” She pointed at him indignantly.

“Plus trespassing. You might want to call yourself a lawyer. Unless…well…we got the wrong of things.”

A look passed between Jonah and Graham.

“What do you mean?”

Graham never once glanced at Zoey as he said in a firm voice. “I kicked myself in the balls.”

Zoey stared at him, but Graham continued to hold Jonah’s eyes, dipping his chin just a little in a silent signal she didn’t understand.

“I kicked myself,” Graham repeated. “All this was on me. Zoey was just visiting, and I was showing her some of my art. Then I kicked myself in the balls, and she went inside to call for help for me.”

Jonah thought about it, thought about it some more, and then he sighed. “Well, I suppose this was all a misunderstanding. Right, ma’am?”

Graham nudged her in the rib cage with his elbow. “Right, Zoey Bear?”

“If Graham kicked himself…we’re free to go?”

“Yes, but I feel obligated to remind you, ma’am. We’re a small town of good people. Just because some of us can be convinced to kick ourselves doesn’t mean we should have to.” Without further ado, Jonah opened the door. “Have a nice day.”

No one needed to tell her twice. Zoey bolted. Graham followed at a more leisurely pace, stopping to chat with the officer while Zoey headed outside, once more trying to get reception long enough to check her voicemail. Maybe Lana called and she’d missed it?

As Zoey sat on the edge of the sidewalk outside the tiny concrete building, still trying to find a reception sweet spot, their voices filtered out to her.

“They cause more trouble than they’re worth.” Jonah’s pleasant drawl was heavy with annoyance. “Each new batch is worse than the last.”

“This was actually an accident, man. Don’t hold it against her.”

“If she wasn’t so pretty, you wouldn’t be okay with this. Not like you to get pulled into their kind of drama.”

“Maybe, but she’s different.” A snort brought a flush of color to her cheeks. “She is, Jonah. I don’t know, I just think she’s a cut above the rest.”

Now, in Zoey’s life, she had worked her heart out and her fingers to the bone for every single thing she had. She was proud of herself and the accomplishments she had achieved. But she couldn’t remember a single time a stranger had said something like that.

A cut above the rest.

Nothing in their interaction thus far should have given this man a good opinion of her. Confused, Zoey watched as Graham Barnett left the station, still walking gingerly as he whistled to himself. He headed to his truck, climbing in with care. Even though she heard the engine start, he stayed parked. After a few moments, he killed the engine and got out again, joining her.

“I could be completely wrong, but my gut tells me L’s not coming, darlin’.”

“She’s coming.”