Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(5)

“Sounds good. While you’re doing that, I’ll make her some Earl Grey tea,” he said. “You know how she loves that.”

Relieved that the inquisition was over, Grayson pulled his mother’s favorite teapot from the cabinet and started making her tea.





Chapter Four





Claire jerked awake and blinked her bleary eyes before she glanced at her alarm clock. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the three green numbers glowing there so innocently.

No way it could be 7:50 already. That couldn’t be right—she’d set her alarm for 5:30.

But another hurried glance at the clock confirmed it, and a dim memory returned of shutting off the alarm in the darkness before dawn. She’d had every intention of getting out of bed in just a few more minutes, but she’d apparently fallen back to sleep.

Claire groaned as she quickly flung back the covers, startling Charlie in the process. He blinked up at her from the other side of the queen-sized bed, and his big brown eyes morphed from grogginess to joy. With an excited bark, he jumped down and ran to the kitchen where she could hear him scrabble to a stop, most likely to sit and wait beside his food and water bowls.

She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and checked her messages, frustrated to see her father’s driver had left a voice mail. Somehow, she’d slept through that too.

Glancing back to the clock, she gnawed on her bottom lip as she debated her options. The meeting at the jail would begin in a few minutes, so there was no chance of asking for it to be pushed back. And she couldn’t take a later flight to Jacksonville. Gabe had made it clear that he needed her at the resort on Amelia Island early this afternoon, so there was no way around that. What Gabe Rogers wanted, Gabe Rogers got; she’d learned that a long time ago.

Shaking her head, she dialed Leah. While her friend would probably take the news well, Professor Moore’s reaction wouldn’t be pretty.

“Are you at the jail?” Claire asked after Leah answered, and breathed a sigh of relief when she said that she was. At least one of us is on the ball.

“Just got here,” Leah said. “Are you running late?”

“I won’t be able to make it.” Claire’s throat grew dry as she explained what had happened. “I’m going to call Professor Moore to let her know. Then I’ll email you the notes I made last night of the questions to ask the prosecutor.”

“So I’m on my own?” Leah let out an annoyed huff, then clucked her tongue. “Girl, Professor Moore’s gonna let you have it.”

“I know.”

Claire ended the call and dredged up courage before dialing her professor, who picked up on the first ring.

“I’m on my way in, Miss Parker. What about you and Miss Holmes?”

“Leah is already there.” Claire’s cheeks burned. “I’m so sorry, but I won’t be able to make today’s meeting.”

“What?”

Raising her voice, Claire repeated her words.

“I heard you, Miss Parker. I simply can’t believe it.” The disdain in her professor’s tone was clear. “Are you sick?”

Claire couldn’t bring herself to lie. At the same time, she couldn’t admit how irresponsible she’d been to oversleep like a teenager. “I’m not sick.”

“It’s related to your father’s campaign then.”

It wouldn’t be the first time. Claire had already missed a few days this semester, flying to Massachusetts to help her father at campaign appearances. Senator Thomas Parker had a tough challenger in his re-election campaign, and now at the end of September, the election was only six weeks away. He needed all the help he could get, and didn’t hesitate to lay on the guilt when Claire tried to beg off so she wouldn’t miss school.

“No, I . . . it’s a commitment I made to my boyfriend. An out-of-town event for his business.”

“What about your commitment to law school?”

Claire squeezed her eyes shut. How could she respond to that? This whole situation was mortifying. How could she have overslept?

But Professor Moore didn’t seem to expect a response as she barreled ahead, picking up steam in her condemnation. “This has gotten ridiculous lately. More importantly, your continued absences are unfair to your classmates. If you’d rather be pursuing something else, Miss Parker, then you should just pursue it.”

Claire took in a quick breath. “Leah is going to handle the meeting for us, and I’ll email you my notes so you’ll know I’ve been doing my share.”

“If you can’t be there today, then it’s clear you’re not doing your share. All your classmates have managed to meet with their clients.” Professor Moore paused, then let out an annoyed huff. “Go ahead and email me, but I’ll be taking today into consideration in my grading.”

Claire winced, trying not to let the comment sting. “I understand. I’ll send you my notes right now.”

After ending the call, she quickly emailed the file to both Leah and Professor Moore. Then she pressed the number for her father’s driver.

“I overslept, Fred.”

He let out a chuckle. “Figured it was something like that. Would you like me to come back to get you?”

“Please. We won’t be going to the jail, though. Just to the airport.”