Page 21 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

M ckenna sat in shock after listening to what her former teacher was saying.

Why did any of her students ever think she was cool?

Now, as an adult, Mckenna realized that they were young and impressionable, and Penny Gardner took advantage of that.

All sorts of feelings hit Mckenna from anger to sadness to hurt.

She was taken advantage of by someone at the party and years later, Penny didn’t even care.

She hadn’t even apologized. And she’d never come to visit Mckenna after her kidnapping.

She felt Evan’s gaze and peered up at him. His expression was inquisitive, and she figured he was probably wondering if Mckenna was okay. She forced a smile toward him but had the feeling that he could already read her better than most. Even better than Cassidy.

The sheriff had an earpiece linked to her shoulder radio and Mckenna could tell she had a call coming in. Then the sheriff stood and opened the door as a deputy came inside. Penny glanced up from her list.

“I want my lawyer,” Penny said.

“You’ll be able to get in touch with him, but no matter what, you’re going to jail and going to spend a couple nights there,” the sheriff said.

“A couple nights?” Penny asked.

“That’s correct,” the sheriff said. “It’s the weekend. You can’t post bail until you get your first hearing, and a judge won’t be available until Monday.”

Mckenna thought the sheriff was suppressing a vindictive smile and she heard Penny mutter some choice words under her breath. It serves her right for what she did to us. Spending a weekend in jail barely seems fitting.

After Penny handed Evan the pad of paper with the names, the deputy who had arrived asked her to stand and turn around. He put cuffs on her and guided her out the door, taking her away. Mckenna let her breath out. She didn’t realize how much she’d been holding it.

“At least she can’t hurt anyone else,” the sheriff said, breaking the silence. “Her teaching days will be over and I’m sure she’ll be serving some time.”

“I’m going to stop by Toby and Rex’s house and see if they’re home. I have more questions for them,” Evan said, facing Mckenna. “And no, you’re not coming to that interview.”

Mckenna was fine with that. Listening in on Penny’s interview had shaken her a bit.

Realizing that Penny didn’t seem to care what Mckenna went through or that she’d protected Penny all these years had hit her hard.

She needed to process that and coming face-to-face with Toby or Rex wouldn’t help.

“I’m okay with that. I need to get to the office and make follow-up calls on other cases.

Plus, Mocha is in the car and it’ll soon be too hot for him.

Even in the shade. Thanks for letting me come to this interview. ”

“I’ll walk you out,” said Evan.

Mckenna trudged to her car. Her feet felt heavy, and some anxiety stirred up inside her.

“Are you okay?” Evan asked.

“Honestly, no,” Mckenna said. She liked that she could be straightforward with him.

With her family it had gotten to the point where she couldn’t really share her true feelings.

It would trigger anger toward Toby from her father, guilt in her mother for not being a better parent and overprotectiveness in her sister.

Evan seemed to accept her for who she was and how she felt in the moment.

“I thought coming with you would be good. That it would make me feel better hearing Penny confess to what she was doing… But hearing her deny everything didn’t really help. ”

Evan pulled her into a hug, his strong arms making her feel safe. She trusted him like no one else she’d ever known in her life.

“I understand,” he said.

“You do?”

“I do.”

Evan continued to hold her. Mckenna was in no hurry to break away. His cologne smelled wonderful, and she could feel his strength.

The sheriff came over and cleared her throat. Mckenna and Evan pulled apart as the sheriff glared at her.

“Why didn’t you come forward with the information about the party when you were kidnapped?” the sheriff asked.

Mckenna didn’t know what to say at first. Evan glanced between the two women and was about to say something when Mckenna spoke up. “I was young, and I thought I should protect her. I know now that was wrong. But I was only eighteen.”

“But Penny Gardner wouldn’t have thrown those parties if you’d said something. Lily wouldn’t be traumatized and Autumn would still be alive.”

Mckenna scowled at Evan. The statement about her guilt when it came to Lily and Autumn was remarkably similar to what she’d said to him in the chapel when she’d first told him about the parties.

“Let’s not go down this road. Mckenna knows she made a mistake,” Evan said, trying to get between the two women. “What’s happened has happened.”

“But if your girlfriend had spoken up, then maybe we wouldn’t be here now.”

Now Mckenna’s hurt had turned to fury. “Do you think that I don’t know that?

That I don’t wish I’d done something different?

I wish I had and now there’s nothing I can do.

I can’t go back in time. So lay off. I’m willing to be a witness and help gather other witnesses so this doesn’t happen to anyone ever again.

I’m going back to the office. Call me if you need something. And I’m not his girlfriend.”

Mckenna turned around and stomped off, ready to get out of there. Evan jogged up behind her.

“Mckenna, stop. Please?” he said.

“I have nothing to say to you,” she said, getting in her vehicle. “You could have stood up for me a little bit more instead of saying I made a mistake.”

To Mckenna’s surprise he leaned in, pulled her close and kissed her. “I’m sorry the sheriff said all that. She’s frustrated and she took it out on you, which isn’t right. I’ll talk to her. I promise. And I shouldn’t have said that you made a mistake. That came out wrong. I’m sorry.”

“I wanted to come with today because I thought it would help me feel better about not saying anything. Instead, I feel worse. I wish I could go back in time and say something, but I can’t. And the sheriff is right—Autumn is dead now because of me. Because I didn’t tell the truth about Penny.”

“Autumn’s death is not your fault. You were eighteen and trying to protect someone you looked up to. Autumn’s death is the fault of a sick person that we’re going to catch. Not you. Not Lily. Call me if you want, okay?”

“Okay.” Mckenna knew there was a part of her that wanted to call him and another part that was mad and ready to never speak to him again.

She had both the urge to invite him to her house and spend the evening with him and to slap him for saying what he did.

Now her anxiety was really flaring up, but for different reasons.

Mckenna and Mocha spent the rest of the day at the office.

Mocha crashed on his plush dog bed, happy snores coming from him as Mckenna worked through her to-do list. She glanced down at her dog, glad he could rest. He’d been working hard, and while she knew he enjoyed his job, it was tough on him too.

Everyone in this line of work needed their rest and downtime.

Hanging up the phone from her last call of the day, Mckenna leaned forward and put her elbows on her desk.

Coming back to work had helped her and been a good distraction, but now it was time to go home, and somehow, even the home she loved for its charm and coziness seemed like it was going to be empty.

Thank goodness for Mocha. But Mckenna knew what she was really thinking—she wouldn’t mind another person being in her house and that person was Evan.

Darn him for making everything so complicated.

“Hey, there.”

Mckenna glanced up and saw Cassidy standing in the doorway.

“You doing okay?” Cassidy asked, coming in and taking a seat.

Mocha lifted his head, saw it was his former handler, and after a few stretches, strode over to say hello.

He put his head in Cassidy’s lap, and she started petting him and scratching his ears.

Mocha wagged his tail and leaned more into Cassidy’s leg.

“He likes that,” Mckenna said, avoiding Cassidy’s question.

“Yeah, he does.”

They sat in silence and Mckenna knew that Cassidy really was wondering if she was okay. Was it so bad to be honest? “It was a tough day.”

Cassidy continued petting Mocha. “I bet. This case with the two girls must be rough on you. You know you can ask to not be on it anymore.”

Mckenna shrugged. “I could, but I also understand it better than anyone.”

“How’s Agent Knox treating you? Is he being nice or still taking advantage of you?”

Mckenna laughed and shook her head. “He’s being nice and the kiss you heard about was not him taking advantage of me.

In fact, it might be the other way around, but at the same time he’s so infuriating.

I don’t know what to think of him. One minute I think he’s nice and the next minute he makes me mad. ”

“Oh, really?”

“Really. He’s not so bad. There’s a nice side to him, but then there’s the side everyone here knows. I don’t know who he really is.”

“Be careful with him,” Cassidy warned.

“I know what you said, but I can figure this out for myself.” Now Mckenna was back to being annoyed with her overprotective older sister.

“I’ll be careful, but maybe everyone should get to know him better and give him a chance.

Or maybe I should give him another chance.

I mean he has apologized when I’ve been upset. ”

Cassidy stopped petting Mocha for a moment. “I know his type, that’s all.”

“What’s his type?”

“He’ll pretend to care, get you into bed because he’s a guy with needs, but when the time comes and he’s offered a promotion, he’ll be out of here. I don’t want to see your heart broken.”

Mckenna stared down at her desk as if it would give her answers. “That’s my chance to take.”

“Then what are you going to do? Go with him? You that serious about this guy?”

“I don’t know. We kissed. That’s it for now, so it’s not like I’m going to worry about moving in with him, getting married or even relocating. It was a kiss. Nothing more. It’ll be okay. It wouldn’t be the first time a guy broke my heart.”

“I know,” Cassidy said. “It’s just hard to watch.”

Mckenna thought about the couple of guys she’d been with over the years.

She had been upset to realize that they weren’t into her—they were just attracted by the limelight that came with dating her.

At least the media had left her alone. She’d half expected to find them camped out at her house again when this case started, but for now, they were hounding Lily and Autumn’s families.

At some point, though, there would be a knock on the door and a reporter standing there.

Mckenna wouldn’t mind Evan answering the door and telling them to go away. That would be just fine with her.

“I’ll be okay,” Mckenna finally said. “Life is not easy, but to be honest, Cass, I really like him. You’re right, though. He’s only going to break my heart.”

“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m here for you, okay?”

“I know. I’m lucky to have such a great sister. I think I’m going to get home. It’s been a long day and I’m ready to crash.”

“All right.” Cassidy stood, came around the desk and pulled Mckenna up into a big hug. “Take care of yourself, sis. Call me if you need anything, okay?”