Page 67 of Need You
Colt finished out his day, went home, and managed to get a run in to make up for his lost morning. Three miles. Afterward he got in a shower and ate cereal for supper, staring out the window. Delaney’s Tesla was nowhere in sight. He washed his bowl, went upstairs to get his guitar, came back down, and ran through a few songs. It was slow going at first because he was rusty as hell. Eventually, though, he fell into a comfortable groove, playing a number of the band’s standards. With Colt’s schedule there wouldn’t be time for the band to practice before the show. In the past, they’d always been able to pick up where they’d left off without much rehearsing.
Since Lisa had left, he and the rhythm guitarist traded off on lead vocals. While he didn’t consider himself much of a singer, he got the job done. It had been more than a year since he’d written a song. He didn’t know if he’d ever be able to do it again. These days, his only inspiration was his black-haired, blue-eyed neighbor. No way could he do better than Steve Earle’s “Galway Girl.”
Colt strummed the chorus and belted out the lyrics, thinking of Delaney. Pretty Delaney.
Halfway through the tune, he heard her drive up the easement. He peered through his window and saw her get out of the car with a load of packages.
Setting down his guitar, he went to the back door and called, “You need help?”
“Sure.”
He slipped on a pair of huarache sandals, hiked up her driveway, and grabbed an armful of bags from her car.
“Did you buy out a store?”
“It’s more stuff for theGreasecostumes.”
He helped her haul the bags into her house, carried them upstairs, and left them in her studio.
“You get my call?” he asked.
“I did. I tried to call you back around lunchtime, but there was no answer. I figured you must be busy.”
He hadn’t checked his cell. “Jack and I took the department’s new kayak out for a test run.”
“How was it?”
He shrugged. “Not the best. You go to Reno?”
“Yep. While I was there I went to a sporting goods store and checked out some of the pants you told me about. I could only get so much detail from the pictures on the Internet, so I bought a couple of pairs.”
He stood back and scrutinized her. “Are you serious about this ... about making adventure clothes?”
“You mean as part of my collection? No. But once I get a bee in my bonnet to perfect something, I don’t give up. Plus, I might be willing to design a prototype for Garner Adventure. I still have to talk to my people but haven’t ruled anything out.”
“Really?” She was singing a different tune than she had before, and Colt wondered at the sudden change. “Why’s that? Not that TJ won’t be into it.”
“Crazy, but I’m having fun making them. I guess they’ve given me purpose, which I haven’t had since the divorce.”
“If you’re having fun, then by all means do it. But don’t feel like you have to do my brother a favor. And as far as I’m concerned, you’ve already perfected the pants. The ones you sent over last night rock the house. And I think I can speak with authority when I say that, because I’ve tried them all.”
“Seriously?” Her face glowed from the praise. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel good?”
“Delaney, if all I wanted to do was make you feel good, I could do that with my hands and my mouth and my . . .”
“You’re flirting again,” she said. But from the way her nipples puckered through her top, it was plain that he’d turned her on. Either that or she was cold in eighty-degree weather.
Regardless, the woman knew how to work a simple cotton T-shirt, that was for sure. Jeans ... yeah, those too.
“You want a glass of beer? I got some of that fancy stuff you like,” Delaney offered.
“You did?”Fancy. That was funny.
“You know, to return the favor of the other night. The wine we had on your porch.”
“Sure,” he said, even though he knew it wasn’t prudent to stay.
She moved into the kitchen and he followed her like Mary’s little lamb.You’re pitiful, Garner. Absolutely pitiful.
