Page 75 of Need You
“No comment.”
Colt brought the pitcher back to the table with a couple of pint glasses and put it next to TJ and Josh’s half empty one. He started to pour a glass for Carrie Jo but she shook her head.
“Too fattening. I’d rather take my calories in chocolate.”
“Suit yourself.”
His brothers finished their pitcher and topped their glasses off with his. A few minutes later Jack came in the door with Pond and Brian on his tail.
“Don’t look at me,” Jack said once he got to their table. “I didn’t invite them.”
The two men sat at the bar, far enough away that they couldn’t hear Colt and the rest of the gang, especially with the music from the jukebox blasting. In a couple of hours, a live band would take the stage. The Racketeers. Colt had seen the poster on the door advertising them, but had never heard of the group before. He probably wouldn’t be staying long enough for the band anyway. Tomorrow was a workday.
TJ and Josh played Jack and Carrie Jo in a game of pool. Win eventually showed up and challenged Colt to a game of darts. He kept one eye on the mayor and the Fremont police captain, who was scoping out every woman in the place. Colt was pretty sure he’d seen a ring on Brian’s wedding finger.
Boden came over with a fresh pitcher on the house. “Who’s the steroid head with the mayor?”
“I’m getting the feeling that he’s my successor,” Colt replied.
Win immediately turned his head to check out Brian at the bar. “What are you talking about?”
Colt told them about his suspicions.
“No way,” Win said. “Pond can’t just fire you without cause.”
“He can do whatever he wants. All he has to say is he wants to take the department in a new direction and that he and I couldn’t come to terms on the mayor’s vision for the future. It happens all the time.”
Jack and Carrie Jo had obviously filled TJ and Josh in, because the four of them came over to the dartboards. His brothers looked furious.
“That’s the guy?” TJ cocked his head at Brian.
“Yup. Try not to be too obvious, people.”
“I’m going to talk to Dad about this,” TJ said. “Pond is messing with the wrong people.”
Colt shrugged. “It is what it is, TJ. The mayor has the right to handpick anyone he wants. The voters put their faith in him.”
“The voters didn’t know what a jerk off the guy is,” Josh said.
Colt’s family was a loyal lot and he loved them for it. But sometimes they had an inflated view of their influence in town. A lot had changed since his parents had left the Bay Area to put down roots in Glory Junction, back when it was still a cow town. Since then, a whole crop of wealthy baby boomers and Gen Xers had become residents. To them, Gray and Mary Garner were the old guard.
He stayed for one set of the Racketeers and went home, feeling more dejected than he had in a long time. Being Glory Junction’s police chief was a big part of who he was. TJ was the businessman in the family, Josh the war hero, and Win the charismatic charmer. Law enforcement had given Colt an identity separate from the family business. He supposed he could always apply for a position somewhere else, but this was his town, his home, the place where the people he loved lived.
Turning up the easement, he noted that Delaney was charging her Tesla and parked at the top of his driveway. He got out of his car and checked Delaney’s studio windows to see if the lights were on and if she was still up. New shades made it impossible to tell. But as he got closer to her deck, he heard female laughter.
“Hey,” she called to him. “Saw you on TV.”
He walked closer and saw that his sister-in-law and Deb were there, drinking wine. “Yeah?”
“You looked good,” she slurred slightly. Clearly, she’d had a few.
“Thanks. You having a party?” He waved to Hannah and Deb, who waved back.
“Sort of. Deb came over so I could take her measurements for a pair of cargo pants. Hannah decided to come over, too. You want to hang out with us?”
They looked pretty happy to have their girl thing going. He didn’t want to intrude. “I’m gonna call it a night, but thanks for the invite.”
“Sure. You okay? You look kind of down. Is it because Pond hogged the press conference?”
