"Wh-What?" My heart was racing and my hands were really trembling now. "I don't understand."

"I'm afraid you'll have to come with me," he said, indicating with his hand that he wanted me to get out of the car. "Please roll up your windows and lock your vehicle."

I sat motionless, stunned, my mouth working but nothing coming out.

"Ma'am." This time his voice was more firm. "Step out of the vehicle. Now."

I felt tears welling up and choked them back, grabbing my keys and my purse and opening the door. He nodded toward my window, and I rolled it up, locking my door and shutting it.

I was still blinking back tears when I turned to face him. "Officer, please… I really didn't know."

"Did you get a ticket a few months ago in Newport?" he asked me. "Put your purse on the ground, ma'am."

I dropped my keys into my purse and set it down by my back tire, a slow, terrible realization dawning.

"For doing five over," I agreed, nodding, a lump in my throat. I remembered it clearly. I was talking on my cell to Charlie and driving home from dropping the kids off at school when I got pulled over for doing thirty in a twenty-five.

"Did you pay that ticket, ma'am?" He took a step toward me. He was very tall and broad-shouldered, formidable in that uniform and I shrank against the car.

"My husband-" I started, and he touched my shoulder, his grip hard and firm.

"Turn around for me, ma'am." He twisted his hand, his thumb digging into the flesh above my clavicle.

I did as he asked, feeling hot tears starting, and I couldn't stop them. Charlie was the one who handled paying all the bills. I’d told him about the ticket and had given it to him to pay.

I knew he'd had to do a lot of juggling lately and creative financing since I'd quit my job and started doing midwifery full time, but I couldn't imagine he hadn't paid a sixty dollar ticket. Even if that were the case, I couldn't believe someone's license could get suspended for an unpaid speeding ticket!