by Stacy Finz
She made the so-so gesture with her hand. “I got frustrated with the designing and worked on costumes for the junior theater.”
Somewhere he’d heard that Rita had hit her up. “I wouldn’t put too much work into it.” Even for junior theater it was pretty second rate.
“I went to Reno and scoured some thrift stores and came up with a bunch of stuff I can repurpose.”
“That’s good. Robert didn’t come by to give you more trouble, did he?”
“Nope. I haven’t heard from him since yesterday and assume he went back to LA today, since he actually has a business to run.”
“You’ll have a business to run soon too.” And then she would leave.
“Let’s hope, or I’ll have to resort to making cargo shorts and pants for Garner Adventure.”
“Go ahead and laugh. But I probably don’t have to tell you that athletic wear is big business. The stuff I wear as a guide may not be stylish, but I pay big bucks for functionality. We all do. Not just the cargo pants and shorts. Ski and snowboarding gear and swimwear. Some of the women around here pay as much for their après-ski clothes as they do for their cars.”
“I wasn’t knocking it; it’s just not what I do.”
“I get that. But the shorts and pants you made for me are better than anything on the market. I can say that with confidence and I’m not just blowing smoke.”
She reached over and touched his arm. “Thank you, Colt. You’re good for my confidence.”
He didn’t know if she was good for his. Not after the way she’d pulled back from him last night. They’d been hot and heavy and then boom. But it was better that way, he told himself. Being friends was actually perfect. Because Lord knew he didn’t have enough friends. Only half the town.
“Only being honest,” he said.
“Anything new on the kayak races? Is the mayor still expecting you to represent the police department?”
“Yep. He brought our kayak over today. A piece of crap he probably got at a bargain.”
“Does the equipment matter that much?”
“Let’s put it this way: What kind of sewing machine do you use in your line of work? Something from Walmart or an industrial machine with all the bells and whistles?”
“Okay, I get your point.”
“Now, I’m not expecting him to spend city funds on some fancy, super expensive kayak, but at least consult with me if I’m the guy racing the damn thing.”
“You want to win, don’t you?” She was laughing at him.
“I’m a competitive guy—nothing wrong with that.”
“Nope. But somehow I get the feeling that you and your brothers are over the top in that area.”
His mouth tipped up. “I’d say you’re right. It comes with the territory. We were raised in a family of daredevils.”
She shook her head with those sparkling blue eyes of hers as if to say, you’re nuts, you’re all nuts. God, she lit him up. He couldn’t help himself and just stared, noticing for the first time the length of her lashes and how they were as dark as her hair. And her lips. Man, he loved her lips. It took everything he had not to kiss her.
“You want more wine?” He tore his gaze away and topped off her glass just to keep his hands busy.
“Uh, not too much. I’m a lightweight. A couple of glasses of wine and, well, you don’t want to know.”
Hell yeah, he wanted to know. “Here”—he held the platter in front of her—“have more cheese and crackers. It’ll line your stomach, unless you want to get drunk.”
“No. I made enough of a fool of myself last night.”
“You really didn’t, Delaney. You had a rough confrontation with Robert, you worked on the pants to distract you from it, and lost track of the time. I’ve been there.”
“Because of an ex?”
That’s not what he had meant, but yeah. “Sure. You make pants, I skydive or BASE jump or parachute ski.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Pretty bad.” He didn’t usually talk about it, but he supposed if anyone could identify with a bad breakup, she could. “It’s been fifteen months, though. I’ve moved on ... she’s moved on. We’re all good.”
“Is that why you don’t date women in Glory Junction?”
“Let’s just say it was a very public breakup and I’m a very private person. But in general it’s really not a good idea. I already have so many ties to this town that everyone is up in my business. I’d like to keep my romantic life under wraps, until I’m in a serious relationship.”
“I gather she . . . the public breakup one . . . was serious.”
“I thought it was. She had different ideas.” Like taking the first plane out of here to Nashville.
“I’m sorry, Colt. I know how much that hurts.”
“So it was Robert’s idea to leave?” If so, the dude was a first-class idiot.
“Ultimately, I left him. But he was unhappy. In hindsight, I was too. By the end, we were little more than business partners.”
“You think you’ll try to reconcile?”
“No. Neither of us is interested in a reconciliation. It was over even before it was over. I wish things weren’t so contentious now, but I suppose that’s what happens when so much of our personal and professional lives are intertwined. What did this ex of yours do? Was she in law enforcement?”
That would’ve been so much easier. “She’s a singer. When her career hit the skids she came here to be a ski instructor with plans to quit the music business. We played around town, some shows in Tahoe, but it was for fun. With Josh in the army we needed someone at Garner Adventure to head up the ski program. She was planning to take the job. . . .”
“And?”
Colt paused, then said, “An indie film that no one expected to do anything suddenly became a box office hit. The movie’s score was hers, including the theme song, which got huge airplay. Her music career was resurrected overnight and she decided she wanted that more than she wanted ... It worked out for the best,” especially now that he knew what kind of person she was.
“Are you talking about Lisa Laredo, the country-western artist?”
There was no reason for Colt to keep it a secret. The whole town knew. “Yeah.”
“Wow.” Delaney did a double take. “I’m not a country music fan, but she’s a household name. I had no idea she’d lived in Glory Junction, but I read a story somewhere about her and her songs for the film, about how it catapulted her to the top.”
He nodded. The story had become part of her legacy. “She lived here for two years.” And was supposed to stay permanently. They’d even begun to search for a bigger house.
“You couldn’t make it work? I mean, I know she probably has to go out on the road a lot, but couldn’t Glory Junction have been her home base?”
It could’ve been. But after what she’d done, what she’d stolen, he hadn’t wanted any part of her. Clearly being a big star meant more to her than the life they could’ve had together.
“Nashville is home to the industry,” he said. “That’s where she wanted to be. I’m over it, Delaney.”
He could tell she didn’t know how to respond, so they drank their wine in silence as the sun set over the Sierra. It felt comfortable, just the two of them. Too comfortable. He didn’t realize how much having someone to talk to at the end of the day was missing from his life, and how much he enjoyed it. And that’s what worried him. He was enjoying it a little too much.
Chapter Eleven
It sounded like there was more to the story than Colt was telling her, but Delaney was surprised that he’d confided as much as he had. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that Colt wasn’t much of a talker. No touchy feely there. She’d say he was even more reticent than most guys.
Lisa Laredo. Wow.
Delaney had seen the singer on television a few times. Gorgeous, and a body that wouldn’t quit, all of it real. Delaney had dressed enough celebrities to know. Colt could say he was over her all he wa
nted, but Delaney didn’t think so. There was a rawness to his voice when he talked about her, like she’d left a festering wound in his heart. To see that kind of sadness in someone was difficult, but even more so when it was a strapping, stoic, alpha male like Colt. That kind of vulnerability ...
“I should probably go,” she said. “I was hoping to actually design something tonight or at least attempt to.”
She helped gather up the glasses and take them to the kitchen.
“I’ve got it, Delaney. I’ll wash your platter too.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take it home and stick it in the dishwasher.” She took the opportunity to look around. The two times inside, she hadn’t paid much attention to the living area. “This is a cute house, by the way. Though it could use some accessories.” Other than a family picture over the mantel, the walls were bare. “How long have you had it?”
He seemed to be calculating the years in his head. “I got it about a year after I moved back to Glory Junction from the city, maybe five years ago. I added the deck but haven’t had much time to do anything else.”
“I like the old-time trim.” She walked into the living room to examine the crown moldings. With a fresh coat of glossy white paint and maybe the walls in a dove gray, the place would really pop. Everything was a dull off-white. Sort of dingy. “The hardwood floors are nice too.”
“Thanks. The place suits me okay, except for the driveway, which sucks.”
She suspected that it was a reminder that he needed the easement parking pad for his police car. “Perhaps someday we could go in together and have a carport put in, using land from both our yards.”
“I’d be down with that. In the snow, it’s a real hassle getting down that steep grade. But something like what you’re talking about won’t be cheap.”
“I could get a couple of bids,” she said.
“Nah, let me. My family’s got contacts.” Colt chuckled as if he was sharing a joke.
“What’s so funny?” She didn’t get it.
“My dad is the king of wheeling and dealing, always has someone who can undercut the competition. When anyone in our family is looking to contract work, we have a joke: ‘Dad knows a guy.’” When she didn’t respond, he said, “It’s kind of a Garner thing.”
“Your family is a tight-knit clan, isn’t it?”
“Yup. They’re part of the reason I came back to Glory Junction.”
“You never wanted to take a bigger role at Garner Adventure?” She’d always been curious about that. He was the only member of the family who had an outside job.
“I guess Josh and I had a strong urge to serve the public. Being a local cop allows me to do both, though it’s killing my social life. What about your family? You close?”
“I’m an only child,” she said. “But I’m close with my parents, even though they live in Michigan and I live here. They’ve always been supportive of my work, though they don’t understand why anyone would pay so much money for clothes.” Or why she would leave her working-class roots for a life in the fast lane.
He smiled—his teeth so white against his tan skin—and her insides did a little flip-flop. The memory of his kiss, the way his body felt so warm and hard, flashed through her head. The strength of his arms around her, the sensuous pull of his mouth, and the gentleness of his hands had made her feel safe—and incredibly aroused. Then the things Robert had said and wanted had come floating back and she’d frozen.
It was really time to go. She’d stayed longer than she’d planned. Work awaited. She should at least finish the Grease costumes, which would take the rest of the night. “Oh, and FYI, my shades come on Friday.”
“I appreciate that, Delaney.”
He walked her the short distance home. She went up to her room, changed into yoga pants and a lightweight hoodie, and got to work in her studio, careful to leave the drafting light off. By midnight, she’d finished most of the costumes but her sketch pad was bare.
* * *
The next morning, she heard from her lawyer.
“Do you want to get a restraining order?” Liz asked.
“That seems excessive, not to mention excellent fodder for the gossip sheets.”
Delaney had been lucky so far. The news hadn’t paid much attention to her and Robert’s divorce. Of course they weren’t of the celebrity status that someone like Lisa Laredo was. But Delaney was well known and had made guest appearances on Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model as well as on talk shows.
“I don’t expect him to bother me anymore,” she continued.
“All right. But if he shows up again I want to know about it. If he wants you to take the Delaney Scott name off your existing merchandise, his lawyers will have to get the court clarification. As far as I’m concerned, the ruling was perfectly clear. You can’t use it for new merchandise, but what’s done is done. So we’ll just carry on.”
“Sounds good to me. Thank you, Liz.” Her phone beeped. “I have to go; I’m getting another call.”
Delaney switched over to the other line. “Hello.”
“Hi, Delaney, this is TJ Garner. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No.” Though she couldn’t imagine why Colt’s brother was calling her. While she’d met him a few times through Hannah and at the Indian restaurant with Colt, they’d never said more than a few words to each other. “What’s up?”
“I was hoping I could take you to lunch. You hungry?”
It was noon and she’d only had a piece of toast and coffee for breakfast. “I could eat,” she said, curious. It couldn’t possibly be romantic, or at least she hoped it wasn’t. The only Garner brother she had eyes for was Colt.
“I could swing by, get you, and we could have lunch at the Morning Glory.”
“How about I meet you there?”
“That works too. How soon?”
“Give me twenty minutes.” He’d certainly piqued her interest.
Rushing upstairs, she put on something more appropriate for town than her exercise clothes, swiped on some mascara and lip gloss, and combed her hair. She made it to the diner with a few minutes to spare. The restaurant was crowded and she had to put her name on a list for a table. Deb came out of the kitchen and waved hello. When TJ walked in she escorted both of them to a back booth and rushed off to get another patron coffee.
“How did you do that?” she asked TJ. “The hostess told me it would be at least a ten-minute wait.”
“I called ahead. They don’t really take reservations, but I know people.” He winked.
Unlike Colt’s dark brown eyes, TJ’s were blue and his hair was a little lighter. He was about the same height as Colt, but leaner with a runner’s body. There was no mistaking the family resemblance, but in Delaney’s opinion, Colt was handsomer.
Deb came back to the table to take their orders. Delaney got a tuna sandwich with fries and TJ got biscuits and gravy.
“The place is swamped today,” Deb said. “I haven’t stopped running since I got here. Sorry I can’t talk.”
She trotted over to the cook’s window and yelled, “Heart attack on rack and tuna down.” A few minutes later, she brought their drinks and dashed off again.
“I wonder why it’s so crowded,” Delaney said. The diner did a brisk business but she’d never seen it like this.
“The San Francisco Call featured it in Sunday’s paper. Said it was one of the most authentic diners in northern California. Now everyone’s hiking up the mountain to eat patty melts. We’ve even gotten some business out of it. Just today, a group of walk-ins signed up for white-water rafting.”
“That’s great.” Delaney took a long drink. The walk to downtown had been hot and dry.
“Can’t complain. You see my brother this morning?”
“No. Why?”
He lifted his shoulders, trying to seem nonchalant. “No reason. I just thought you two were hanging out.”
If TJ was trying to find out where his brother and Delaney stood
, she wasn’t taking the bait. “So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” She wanted him to get to the point of this lunch. And why he was asking questions about her and Colt.
“I saw the pants you made Colt. He says you made shorts too, which I haven’t seen, but if they’re anything like the pants ... Anyway, I’m interested in selling them at Garner Adventure.”
She’d thought Colt had been joking when he’d mentioned it the other night. “Ah, TJ, I don’t really do that. Even my ready-to-wear is, uh, higher concept.”
“I know,” he said, but she could tell he wasn’t ready to give up. “But what if we bought the design from you and had our people make them and sew in our own labels?”
“Under ordinary circumstances I might consider it, but I’m trying to reestablish myself and don’t think it’s a good idea. I wouldn’t want people to find out that I was secretly designing for you and think that’s the direction I’m moving in.” Besides, her goal was to reestablish herself, not design in anonymity.
“Why? They’re great pants.”
“Because I don’t do athletic wear. My brand is high fashion.”
“But you just said you’re reestablishing your brand.”
He was starting to wear her down, and she said, “You’re starting to remind me of my ex.”
“Uh-oh, that can’t be good.” His mouth curved into a mischievous smile and she could see how women would find him incredibly appealing.
“He’s relentless and a very good businessman,” she said.
Their food came and it gave her a moment’s reprieve. She suspected that TJ wasn’t finished making his pitch. She bit into her sandwich as Deb talked about the upcoming kayak races. She was on the Morning Glory’s tandem team.
“So Colt’s racing for Glory Junction PD,” Deb said.
“Yep. It’s Josh and me for GA this year.”
“What about Win?”
“Win sucks at paddling.”
“The way I see it, without Colt racing for you guys, the contest is wide open.”
“You’re delusional, Deb. We’ll win it like we do every year. But if you’d like to wager a little bet on it, I’m game.”
She considered it for a few seconds. “I’ll think about it. I want to know who’s partnering with Colt first.”