Yes, it's quite a surprise

Rick recognized the voice when it was still at least a hundred feet away. The deep southern accent sent something stirring in his groin despite his best intentions.

Naturally she was arguing, doubtless lecturing the police on their jobs, their manners, their hygiene, probably their personal habits as well. Yes, Rick knew that voice.

"Jesus, you are some kind of mess."

He hadn't seen Jan in a year or so but she hadn't changed in that time. Still blond. Still long-legged. Still with the hot athletic figure that had attracted him in the first place. Still with that sexy deep-throated voice.

"Hi Jan. Yeah, they haven't been real big on letting me clean up here."

"I've got some drop clothes in the trunk. Come on."

"You bailed me out?"

"No bail. They never charged you. Just because you look like a criminal doesn't mean they can just hold you and look for a crime somewhere. Now come on." She turned her considerable personality on the guard. "Well, hurry up. Open the damned door."

If he'd talked that way to a cop, he suspected they would bash his head in. Jan, however, could get away with things nobody else could. He'd never understood it before but as he watched, something clicked in his brain. She got away with things because it never crossed her mind that anyone would stop her. Confidence, together with sex appeal, good looks, and, of course, being white in the south, went a long way.

Sure enough, the guard opened the door. "Get the fuck out of here," he said. "If I see you again, we're not going to be so easy on you."

Jan didn't say anything to Rick as she led him out to her SUV. She pulled the promised drop cloths from the cargo area, draped them over the passenger seat, and let him get in.

"Why the fuck did you ask Milly to call me?" his ex-wife demanded as she climbed into the driver's seat.

Rick let his gaze travel up her long legs, from her spike heels to the slit in her skirt that went way up her thighs exposing the top of seamed stockings and a couple of inches of naked thigh. Once upon a time, she'd dressed that way for him but that had been a long time ago, when he'd been an up-and-comer, before he'd gotten wrapped up in bio-DNA to the point where he'd rarely made it home before midnight. Yeah, no wonder she'd stopped bothering. He wondered who she was dressing for now. It certainly wasn't him.

He shrugged. "I told her what happened and asked for help. I guess you were the best she could do."

"I had to cancel a date and miss my tae kwon do class."

She fired up the engine, whipped out of the police parking lot and turned toward his apartment.

"Uh, I lost my apartment."

"Jeeze, you really screwed up your life, didn't you?"

He couldn't argue with that. "I left my car at Wal-Mart parking lot."

She shook her head, giving him a big sigh. "It's in impound. I'll let you use my place to take a shower, get something to eat, and then I'll drop you off there. I can't believe my ex-husband has become a homeless bum."