The night progressed and Tucker seemed to be at ease and enjoying himself with her friends. When Tuck and Beck were discussing hockey at great lengths, Alyssa leaned over and whispered, “Good job, sis. I like him and it’s obvious Beck approves.”
“He’s so great,” she said, “his hotness is just a bonus.”
“Almostas hot as Beck.”
Maryn laughed. “He’s smoking past Beck.”
“Not possible.” Alyssa giggled, but then quieted as they noticed the men had paused their conversation and were studying the two of them. “Sorry,” Alyssa said. “Girl talk.”
The waiter brought their food and Alyssa was asking him for some kind of sauce. Tucker bent next to her ear and whispered, “I’m smoking hot?”
Maryn bit at her lip. “You know it.”
He chuckled, thanked the waiter, and proceeded to cut into his steak. Maryn took a bite of her mahi-mahi, savoring the fresh burst of flavor. Beck started teasing her about being another one of the friends to fulfill the Billionaire Bride Pact. She blushed furiously and told him, “In Tuck’s dreams.”
Tuck nodded. “She’s right.”
The blush deepened along with happy bubbles filling her stomach. She knew she and Tuck were a long ways from a proposal, but thankfully he hadn’t gotten awkward with Beck’s teasing, just taken it in stride.
She ate the asparagus and risotto, saving the rest of the mahi mahi for the end. Enjoying the last few bites, she could envision many more dinners with the four of them. Her eyes pricked as she realized that because of Tuck she was no longer lonely.
The restaurant suddenly seemed to buzz with conversation and loud footsteps and then it got horribly quiet. Maryn spun in her chair to see four policemen stride toward them and then surround their intimate table. Tuck and Beck both sprung to their feet and stepped in front of Maryn and Alyssa.
“Tucker Shaffer?” a short policeman with a full head of curly red hair asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re under arrest for the murder of Jaron Underwood.”
Tucker’s brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”
The officer started reciting Tucker’s rights while Maryn thought she was going to black out. She stood and clung to Tucker’s arm. “What is happening?”
“I have no idea,” he muttered. He squeezed her hand and mustered a smile. “It’s got to be a mistake. We’ll get it figured out.”
Beck and Alyssa looked to be in shock. Neither of them moved for a few seconds. People at surrounding tables were gaping at the scene. A few cameras flashed from phones. Maryn’s heart pounded in her head. She held onto Tucker’s hand, hoping he would stay calm and not sure if she could let him go with the police. Arrested for murder? This wasn’t happening.
“Now, wait a minute,” Beck said. “This is obviously a mistake. You can’t just arrest him.”
“Watch me,” the police officer said, pulling out a set of handcuffs. The other officers closed ranks.
Tucker lifted his hands. “I’ll go. It’ll be fine.” He nodded to Beck. “I’m sure it’s a mistake and we’ll figure it out quick.” His voice lowered. “Please don’t handcuff me here.” He gestured to Maryn and the officer nodded then grasped his elbow.
“I’m sorry,” Tucker said to Alyssa and Beck.
“You shouldn’t be apologizing,” Beck said. “Do you have a legal team to figure this out?”
Tucker nodded. He looked to Maryn. “I didn’t murder anyone. You believe me?”
“Yes,” she said, glaring at the police.
He moved to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. The policeman all tensed. Two pulled their weapons.
Maryn gasped.
“I just want to leave money for dinner,” Tucker explained. The redhead guy nodded. Tuck threw a couple of hundred dollar bills down.
Beck shook his head to protest, but they were already leading Tucker away. Maryn watched him go, tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. For some reason she remembered last night when James had stuck her with the bill because he was angry with her. Tucker was being arrested and he was thoughtful enough to cover everyone’s dinner. She sighed, but then her insides clenched. Murder? Really? Tuck had to be innocent, he just had to be. But there was a small part of her that knew he had a temper and knew how to use a weapon. No. She couldn’t think like that. She had to do everything in her power to prove his innocence.