“Why didn’t you tell us? Why pretend with us?” There was outrage in his mother’s voice.
Michael looked at Karen. For a moment, she thought he’d open up to his parents about his sexuality. “I didn’t think you’d understand.”
Sawyer stood, shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well I sure as hell don’t understand. And what’s with you and Karen?” The question was directed at Zach.
Zach swallowed. “The attraction was unexpected.”
Karen leaned into him.
“This is damn awkward,” Sawyer grumbled.
“And will probably be more so before we leave the hotel,” Michael said. “Karen’s going to need the support of this family. I meant what I said about the media persecuting Karen. The world thinks she and I were happily married. With our divorce pending…and Zach…”
“I’ll be fine,” Karen offered.
“I don’t know, babe. The media can be brutal.”
“Michael, the media blows hot and then cools nearly as quickly as the match was sparked. This will blow over in a few weeks and I’ll simply be your ex.”
“So you were planning your divorce the entire time you’ve been here?” Janice asked.
It was time for Karen to come to Michael’s defense. “Sawyer, Janice…I’m sorry. We’re sorry. We’d hoped to have a brief paper marriage that the world would buy for a short time, and then move on. Hollywood is extremely flighty and right now Michael is one of the hottest things out there.”
“Is the money so important that you’d sell your soul?”
Michael shook his head. “Hardly that dramatic, Dad. Karen and I are close friends. We’ve had a good time playing the perfect couple for the past year. But that’s all it was…playing. Now that she’s interested in someone, it’s time to stop pretending.” Michael shot a glance to his brother. “Chaps my ass that it’s you she’s interested in.”
Zach was smiling, not taking anything seriously.
Janice shook her head, clearly not convinced. “Just a couple of weeks ago you and Tracey were close, Zach. What are we to think of that?”
Zach’s smile fell. “Before you come to Tracey’s defense, consider this. Outside the hotel last night when we were arrested on trumped-up kidnapping charges, Tracey was standing in the crowd watching.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes.” Zach lifted Karen’s hand and kissed her fingers. “I think she followed us.”
Janice glanced at Sawyer and lowered her gaze to the floor. “We saw Tracey outside the courthouse.”
Zach swung his gaze to his mother. “What did she say to you?”
“She apologized. At the time, I didn’t understand what she was talking about. Said she thought she was doing the right thing when she heard from her cousin that you and Karen were in St. George and were keeping Becky and Nolan hidden from Becky’s parents.”
Karen squeezed Zach’s hand. “Maybe she was hurt about the breakup.”
“I doubt she has a black eye or a mark on her record that shouldn’t be there. Things weren’t right with Tracey and me for a while. Our breaking up had little to do with you. Now Becky is back with her abusive parents and we’re forced to sit here and wait for others to watch out for the girl. Nolan is frantic, worried sick about his girl and their child. And all for what?”
“Oh, honey, I don’t know what to think,” Janice said.
“We need to band together,” Michael told them. “Karen and I had planned the divorce before we arrived here. That will go on as scheduled. In the meantime, she’s going to need our support.” He waved a hand in Zach’s direction. “And you’re going to have to have her back. The media is vicious. They’ll dig…more than ever before now that there is an apparent love triangle.”
Zach’s arm moved over her shoulders. “We’ll get you through this.”
“This is damn strange, Mike.”
“I know it is, Dad. Be confused, yell…do what you have to. Just keep the truth between us.”
“You want me to lie to our family?”
Michael shook his head. “No. Tell Hannah, Judy…hell, Rena already knows. But what business is it of anyone else? It’s not like I’ve had any visitors in LA since I’ve moved away. No one else needs to know squat.”
Sawyer paced the edge of the room. “Damn kids today.”
Michael glanced at Zach, rolled his eyes.
“C’mon, Janice. We should get home before the press corners our daughters.”
They stood with Janice. Karen watched as Michael and Zach both hugged and kissed her good-bye. She turned to Karen, pulled her aside. “If you need anything, call.”
“Thank you, Janice.”
“I can’t pretend to understand. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
Karen looked over her shoulder at the men watching her. “Me, too.”
Sawyer wasn’t as forgiving with his words or his actions. He stormed from the room and expected his wife to follow.
Once the three of them were alone, Karen fell into the sofa, depleted.
“Remind me to never do that again.”
She expected the men to sit and laugh with her; instead, they stood staring at each other.
Karen glanced between the two of them.
“What?”
Zach crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you not telling me, Mike?”
Had she missed something?
Zach continued. “Karen is too amazing for a platonic relationship for over a year.”
Karen swung her gaze to Michael.
Silence hung in the air.
“You’re right.”
Zach opened his mouth, then closed it.
“I’m g*y, Zach.”
Zach uncrossed his arms and dropped his jaw to his chest. “Well damn.”
After the police took their statements, Judy returned to Rick’s rental car and called Gwen on Rick’s cell phone.
“Rick?” Gwen answered with her polished accent.
“No, it’s Judy. Rick is still talking to the police.”
“Oh, dear. What’s happened?”
Judy explained what they’d walked in on, and how the Applegates were nowhere to be found. “I don’t even know where to look.”
“Perhaps Karen will have an idea…or Nolan.”
“Are they out of jail?”
“Yes. Let me speak with them and I’ll call you right back.”