Page 29 of Need You
“You think the mayor will try to edge him out?” Delaney asked.
Hannah snuck another peek at Colt’s booth. “I don’t know. Josh thinks he’s trying. But the Garners aren’t a family to mess with. They stand up for each other, and Garner Adventure is partly what put this town on the map. People won’t easily forget that.”
They ate while Deb told them of her latest dating fiasco—a weekender who’d lied about being single. One of his buddies had slipped by letting Deb know that not only was he married but he had two kids.
“What a troll,” Deb said.
“I wish you and Win would get together all ready and save us from these tragic stories.” Hannah glanced over at Foster, who nodded his head.
“Were you two an item?” It was the first Delaney had heard of it other than Colt’s earlier quip.
Foster chortled. “She wishes.”
“Deb has been in love with Win since the beginning of time.” Hannah took a bite of her sandwich. “Unfortunately, Win is an idiot.”
Delaney had only crossed paths with Win a few times, so she couldn’t attest to whether he was an idiot or not. Deb, however, was gorgeous and seemed to be the life of the party. Delaney couldn’t imagine a man not being interested in her. But there was no accounting for chemistry. You either felt it or you didn’t.
“What about Colt? Is he single?” As soon as the words left Delaney’s mouth she felt three pairs of eyes on her. “For Deb of course. Or Foster. Are you single, Foster?” She’d assumed he was gay. Foster, not Colt.
“I am,” Foster said. “But I’m not Colt’s type.”
“What’s his type?” She couldn’t help herself.
They all three said “Lisa” at the same time.
Aha, Colt did have a significant other. Delaney knew it. “Who’s Lisa?”
“A viper who left him. Not only did she take his heart but she took his—”
“Foster,” Hannah admonished, “we shouldn’t be talking about this.” She turned to Delaney. “Colt is very private when it comes to that part of his life.”
“It’s not like most of the town doesn’t know the sordid story already.” Deb came to Foster’s defense. “But fine, we won’t gossip about your brother-in-law.”
“Thank you. I’m sure Colt would appreciate it,” Hannah said.
As Delaney watched Colt and his two cohorts finish their lunch and pay their bill, she wondered what the “sordid story” was with the ex. Lisa. She was merely curious was all.
* * *
Colt left Old Glory anticipating another bad meeting with the mayor. When Pond had called earlier that morning, he’d been out of town. But he’d been furious over something Colt had done. Instead of just telling him what it was, Pond wanted to drag it out and make Colt wait until they could meet in person.
Ben headed for city hall and Jack had an errand to run, leaving Colt to walk back to the station by himself. Glancing at his watch, he picked up the pace. He’d like to make the mayor wait, but why borrow extra trouble?
At least Ben had made the lawsuit situation with the drunk couple go away. He’d not-so-casually mentioned to the pair that Colt was thinking of countersuing for being punched in the stomach, reminding them that there had been a sidewalk full of witnesses. The couple promptly took back their threats. Colt didn’t think he could’ve tolerated apologizing to the man. As much as he loved his job, he had to draw the line somewhere.
He figured today’s infraction would be about the way he’d handled the parents of the kids who’d vandalized the high school. There was no telling how much Pond would bend over to appease voters. The teens had caused a good deal of damage. No way would a slap on the wrist be enough. Granted they were only kids, but the punishment needed to fit the crime. He and his brothers used to run wild through these mountains as boys. When they screwed up, Gray and Mary Garner made them take responsibility for their actions. They didn’t like it at the time, but Colt knew those consequences had played an important role in shaping the type of men they became.
Screw Pond!If the mayor wanted to fire him, fine. But Colt wasn’t about to be Pond’s bitch or run the department with the sole purpose of getting him reelected.
Needing to lower his blood pressure before he reached the station, he turned his thoughts to Delaney. She’d looked good at Old Glory. Her hair had been up in a messy kind of style that was sexy as hell and he’d liked her dress. Classy but clingy. So, she and Hannah had become buds. It didn’t surprise him. They were both into clothes and stylish things.
He was glad he hadn’t made a move on her the other night in his bedroom. He’d gotten the sense that she wouldn’t have been opposed to a little fooling around. But it’d be just his luck that she’d become a disgruntled lover and start leveling complaints against him. Not a good idea given the kind of scrutiny he was under from the mayor. He and Delaney barely tolerated each other as it was. And they had zip in common. He liked outdoorsy women who could hold their own on the slopes or a sheer rock face, anything with a degree of danger. And according to his brother, Delaney didn’t even ski.
He’d just gotten in the building when his phone buzzed with a call from TJ. Ducking into a corner, he answered. “This an emergency? Because I don’t have time to talk.”
“Can you do a cave tour tomorrow night? Josh has to go to San Francisco for a doctor’s appointment about his leg.” He had a couple of specialists there who were trying to decide whether he needed another surgery.
Colt pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let me see if Jack can be on call. I’ll let you know later.” He hung up, put his phone on silent, and made a beeline for his office, wanting to be at his desk before Pond showed up.
