by Stacy Finz
“They’re over at the pool tables.”
“Thanks. And thanks for the beer.”
It was packed for a Wednesday night and he had to squeeze through the crowd to get to them. When he finally did, Josh and TJ were playing a game of eight ball and Win and Deb a game of darts.
“Hey,” Josh said. “You just get off work?”
“Yeah.” Colt grabbed a chair at his brothers’ table. Boden may as well put a Garner plaque on it, they sat at it so much. “What’s going on at GA?”
“Nothing. But your picture is making the rounds. Dad thought it was hysterical.”
“It’s been great for business,” TJ chimed in. “We got a couple of bookings today with guys wanting to sign up for the topless white-water trips.”
“Glad everyone is amused. Pond wants me to resign over it.”
Josh and TJ stopped their game and came over to the table. Win and Deb wandered over too.
“I thought you were kidding earlier,” TJ said. “He can’t be serious. It was a couple of women screwing around. How did that hurt anyone?”
“It’s not exactly a good image for the Glory Junction Police Department. Please tell me, TJ, that the girls were all legal.”
“Of course they were. We get parental consent for anyone under eighteen. We have photocopies of their licenses if you need to show them to Pond.”
“I may have to show them to the council.”
Win pulled a face. “That’s messed up, man. Everyone in this town knows you wouldn’t do anything to hurt Glory Junction’s reputation. The girls were just having fun. It’s no different than Rita’s calendar, for God’s sake.”
Deb gave Colt a hug. “Screw Pond Scum. Everyone knows he’s a carpetbagger.”
That wasn’t the point, but Colt appreciated the sentiment anyway. “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he said, not necessarily believing it. There was no question the mayor wanted a more malleable chief, someone who wouldn’t stand up to him the way Colt did. This was exactly the kind of excuse Pond could use to jettison him.
Hannah showed up and they wound up ordering food. He played a game of pool, whupped Win’s ass at darts, and went home, feeling grateful for his family and friends standing by him. The easement parking space was open, so he nabbed it. As he walked to his kitchen door, he spied Delaney on her deck, pacing back and forth with her cell pressed to her ear. He couldn’t hear what she was saying, but could tell the conversation was heated.
He started to let himself inside, quickly darted another glance over at Delaney’s deck, and saw her crying. His instincts shouted for him to go over to make sure she was okay, but he fought them. Colt didn’t have much room to screw up with Pond watching his every move, and as far as Delaney was concerned, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t.
Chapter Seven
“Why are you being so incredibly unfair about this? If anything, Robert, I’m the one who should be out for blood in this divorce. I’m not the one who became bored and dissatisfied with our marriage and changed the rules.”
After lunch she’d opened the envelope from her ex’s lawyer. It was a cease and desist letter, demanding her to stop selling her shoes and handbags under the Delaney Scott name. Her attorney was trying to reach Robert’s lawyer. Despite being advised not to contact Robert herself, she’d hoped that he’d see reason if she made a personal appeal.
Big mistake, because he was sticking to his guns and being damned abusive about it.
“I became bored and dissatisfied?” he scoffed. “You rarely had sex with me anymore, Delaney. And when you did your mind was elsewhere.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Obviously their marriage had needed work, but his answer to saving it had been out of the question.
“And this is how you get even? This is the way you punish me for not going along with your warped plan to infuse new life into our relationship? You steal my company and cut off my income stream?”
“It wasn’t your company, Delaney. It was our company. Both of us know that I was the one who built it to what it is today. Yes, the designs were yours. But without me, we never would’ve become a global brand with the kind of retail reach Delaney Scott has. You’re an artist, Delaney, I’ll give you that. But your head for business . . . well, it’s nonexistent.”
Her eyes filled with tears because he was right. That’s why their partnership had been perfect. At least the professional part of it. And now she wasn’t even an artist. Her well of creativity had gone dry.
“Do you realize how much it will hurt my bottom line to do what you want?” she asked in a choked whisper.
“Don’t make it sound like this is me doing something underhanded to you. This is what the court found equitable, Delaney. What about my bottom line? In essence, we’re both starting over.”
No, they weren’t. He still owned the name—her name. The Delaney Scott brand was famous. All he had to do was maintain the quality and integrity of the company. She, on the other hand, had to completely invent a new brand, introduce it to the world, and hope like hell it would sell.
“My lawyer says the judge’s ruling did not include me taking the Delaney Scott name off preexisting merchandise. And I’ll go back to court if I have to for clarification.”
“You’ll lose in the end, Delaney. And it’ll wind up costing both of us a lot of money. It would behoove you to—”
She hung up on him before he could finish the thought. Liz had warned her about calling him and Delaney should’ve listened. Yet, there’d been a time when he’d been reasonable and she’d hoped to appeal to the old Robert.
“Everything okay?”
She jerked, surprised to see Colt standing a few feet from her deck.
“Yes. Of course.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, trying to hide the evidence of her tears.
He came closer. She noted he wasn’t in his uniform. Perhaps he’d gone out after work or had put in a few hours at Garner Adventure. The clothes were nothing special, just a faded pair of jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt. But he wore them better than any man she knew.
“You looked upset,” he said, and gave her a long perusal. “I just wanted to make sure there’s not a problem.”
No problem, she almost said, and sniffled, realizing she wasn’t kidding anyone. “I just got off the phone with my ex. He wants me to stop using the Delaney Scott label on my handbags and shoes—the ones already manufactured.”
“I thought he got the name in the divorce.”
“He did. But according to my lawyer’s interpretation, the decision isn’t retroactive to include merchandise made before the ruling.”
“Ah.” Colt nodded his head. “What if it is?”
She let out a sigh. “It’s going to cost me a lot of money.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Me too. Would you like to come in for a glass of wine . . . or some of that beer you brought over?” The invitation had just sort of popped out of her mouth, and from the way his eyes had shifted toward his house, she fully expected him to decline the offer.
“Yeah, okay. But I’ve got an early day tomorrow.” He came up the stairs and followed her inside.
Suddenly she felt awkward, like she might’ve given him the wrong impression. Of course, he’d asked her into his bedroom the other night, but that had been to see how bright the light in her studio was. Still, there’d been this weird sexual tension and she didn’t want him to think that she was hitting on him, which he probably got a lot of.
She led him through the front room into the kitchen and he took a stool at the breakfast bar while she went to the cupboard. “Wine or beer?”
“Beer, please.”
He sized up the open floor plan like she’d noticed he’d done the last time, taking it all in. “You keep it neat, don’t you?”
“I have a housekeeper.” She reached for a bowl on tiptoes and she felt him come up behind her. “I’ve got it.”
He pulled the dish down anyway, pressing against her back i
n the process. He was big and solid and she liked the feel of him. But he moved away all too soon.
The last man she’d been with had been Robert and he was definitely an ectomorph, thin with long legs. Colt was a mesomorph, classic athletic build. Muscular and strong. Mesomorphs had the most problems finding the perfect fit because of their V shape—wide shoulders, small waist. But she’d have no trouble fitting Colt.
“You didn’t come from work, did you?” she asked, and filled the bowl with pretzels.
“I went to Old Glory when I got off duty.”
“Again?”
He chuckled, clearly remembering that they’d seen each other there at lunch. “Yeah. I should probably branch out, but there’s no other place to play pool and the beer’s good. Since Boden bought it, he’s vastly improved what’s on tap.”
“Did you meet someone there?” Delaney hoped the question sounded innocent enough. Admittedly, she was nosy about whom he dated. A guy like him must be spoiled for choice.
“My brothers, Deb, and Hannah. I’m guessing you don’t play much pool ... or darts.” He said it like she was too snobbish to hang out in pool halls and dive bars. At least that’s the way Delaney took it and it miffed her. He didn’t know anything about her.
“I never had much of an opportunity to learn. Maybe I will while I’m here.”
He looked at her like yeah, right, which only made her want to prove him wrong. “How’s the designing coming along?”
She inwardly groaned. “Not good. I’ve been working day and night—and nothing. I did order shades for my studio, though.” That’s about all she’d accomplished this week, besides fighting with Robert.
“Why do you think that’s happening?”
“I just keep hitting a wall. It’s as if I have brain freeze.” She poured them each a beer and slid his down the bar.
He nodded as if he knew exactly what she was talking about. “Maybe you need a change in scenery. What about taking a day off to go river rafting?”
Right now, time was her enemy. Taking a day off would only make her anxious. “What would that accomplish?”
“Sometimes I find being outdoors, communing with nature, or partaking in a little adventure frees me up.”
Freed him up from what? she wondered. The stress of being police chief? His music? But she got the sense his music was just a hobby. “I don’t know. It’s different for me. I usually find my inspiration in big cities, watching people, seeing the way they dress.”
He sat back down and took a slug of his beer. “It’s just a thought. If you change your mind, I’ll take you out. You said you’ve always wanted to go.”
Was he asking her on a date? She didn’t think so, but he was being awfully generous. And given the fact that up until recently their relationship had been less than friendly, she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt. And if you’re willing to be my guide ... I have always wanted to try it.”
“Sure. Sunday’s my day off; we could do it then.”
“We won’t do anything crazy, right? Remember, I’m a beginner.”
He chuckled. “Nothing crazy, I promise.”
Colt’s phone chimed and he quickly reached into his pocket for it.
“Are you getting called out to a crime scene?”
“Nope,” he said, scanning the display on his cell and stuffing it back in his pocket. “I’m good.”
He looked up and their eyes locked. Something in his gaze made her catch her breath, then look away.
She took her beer and sat at the short end of the L-shaped bar, facing him. “Did you have a good day at work?”
“Not particularly.” He seemed to consider his words and then forged ahead. “I guess you don’t look at Facebook.”
“Not often, no. Why?”
“I took a bachelorette party out white-water rafting last weekend. We took a group picture. At the last second, they flashed the camera and posted the photo on Facebook. Needless to say, the mayor isn’t too happy about it.”
And according to Hannah, the mayor wasn’t too happy with Colt in general.
Delaney grabbed her phone off the counter and launched the Facebook app. She found the picture in under five seconds. There was Colt standing in the center of a group of women lifting their bikini tops. It wasn’t like he was fondling any of them or doing anything offensive. Just a silly photograph of women having a good time. It was clear from his expression that he was an unwitting participant. Jeez, you could find more suggestive poses in a fashion magazine.
“The mayor’s bent out of shape over this?”
He hitched his shoulders. “It’s pretty unprofessional.”
“Definitely if you were in uniform. But clearly you weren’t on duty when this photograph was taken. He must know you moonlight for your family’s adventure company, so what’s the big deal?”
His mouth curved up in a crooked smile. Damn. If she could find a way to bottle that smile and sell it, she’d be filthy rich.
“Hopefully the city council agrees with you,” he said.
Her jaw dropped open. “You have to go before the council?”
“It’s either that or Pond gets me to resign.” He took another drink of his beer.
She couldn’t believe that something this innocent had gotten him into such hot water. It was beyond ridiculous. “Pond’s a jackass.”
He smirked, then quickly went neutral. “You said it, not me.”
“He’s also a sleazeball. When Robert and I were trying to get a variance to build this house, he hit on me, like a quid pro quo could be arranged. Can you believe that?”
“Yeah,” he said without hesitation. “Pond’s got a reputation as a womanizer. Regardless, I imagine a lot of men hit on you.”
She did a double take. “Why would you think that?”
“Seriously?” When she didn’t answer, he gave her a hard look. “You’re not kidding, are you?” He chuckled and held up his hands as if in surrender. “I’m in enough trouble.... I can’t go there. So did your ex have words with Pond?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think Robert noticed.” Or cared.
He raised his brows but didn’t say anything. She got the impression that unlike Robert, Colt might be territorial, which sent a small shiver down her spine.
“In any event, the incident left a bad taste in my mouth. I know a lot of people are in Pond’s camp, but not me. I can’t fathom that you would lose your job over this.” She indicated the picture still on her phone.
“Yeah, I hope not.” He acted nonchalant about it, but Delaney sensed he was anything but. His job—being the police chief—was important to him, she could tell.
“You want something to eat besides pretzels?” She’d noticed he’d made good work of the bowl.
“Nah, I ate at Old Glory. But I’m probably holding you up from dinner.” He got up and took his empty glass to the sink. “Thanks for the beer, Delaney.”
She’d enjoyed talking to him and didn’t want him to leave, but she also didn’t want to seem desperate for company. Ordinarily she was fine being by herself. But he was easy to tell things to—at least when they weren’t fighting. And the way he looked at her made her feel attractive again. But he wanted to go, and asking him to stay . . . Well, she wasn’t going to put herself out there. She already felt like a spectacular failure.
* * *
Much to Pond’s disappointment, the city council had been unconcerned over Colt’s so-called lapse of judgment. Rita Tucker had even publicly laughed about the Facebook post, now referred to simply as the “Girls Gone Wild” picture.
Of course she was one to talk. There’d been a lot of eyebrows raised over her calendar, which got racier every year. Last year, Colt as Mr. July had flat-out refused to wear a stars and stripes jock sock, telling Rita they wouldn’t find one big enough. But Win, Mr. December, had posed in nothing but a mistletoe loincloth. They were still giving him shit about it.
Much of the town had turned out for the meeting, and Colt suspected that his father had had something to do with that. Gray Garner usually didn’t get involved in town politics unless someone abused his or her power. Then he got very involved.
“So much for Pond Scum’s shock and awe show.” Win sailed a dart from the toe line and made a bull’s-eye. “No one gave a rat’s ass. Too bad Josh missed the meeting. He could’ve been bored out of his skull like the rest of us.”
TJ had managed to find a sub to take a group on the cave tour and had attended the meeting with the rest of the Garners. He and Deb were engaged in a pretty heated game of one-pocket. Hannah had gone with Josh to his appointment in San Francisco.
Boden sauntered over, put two pitchers down on the table, and sidled up to Colt and Win. “A couple of new microbrews from Tahoe I wanted you to try. Sorry I missed the meeting. It got busy in here around six and never let up. Rita says you’re good.”
“Yep.” Colt bobbed his head.
“Saw the picture.” Boden lifted his shoulders. “Don’t know why the mayor got his drawers in a twist over it. He comes in here and ogles every nice rack in the place, isn’t even discreet about it. Girls half his age.”
“The dude’s a tool,” Win said.
“Hey, guys, could we tone it down?” Colt had made no secret of his dislike for Pond, but he’d done it to the mayor’s face. Doing it behind his back ... not cool.
“Sorry, man.” Colt watched Boden do a visual lap around the bar to make sure his staff had the place covered. A band was setting up on stage and soon the place would get rowdy. “Hey, I almost forgot, I had a cancellation for the End-of-Summer party. A band from Sacramento. I know you said you were jammed, but any chance you’d take the slot? It’s a big night not to have live music.”
Old Glory would be packed. Tourists as well as locals.
“Yeah, maybe.” Now that the heat was off him, Colt figured why not? “I have to see if the rest of the guys can do it. Can I let you know in the next couple of days?”
“Sounds good to me. I better get back to the bar.” Boden cut across the room, getting waylaid two or three times by various women. Since buying Old Glory, the scruffy, tattooed barkeeper had made a big impression on the ladies.
