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 wanted, 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.”
Delaney was coming to the conclusion that this supposedly friendly end of the summer race was even more competitive than she’d originally thought.
“Jack,” TJ responded.
“Deb,” Felix, the owner, bellowed, “no time for chitchat.” He pointed to the line that had formed outside on the sidewalk.
“Gotta go.” Deb took off to take orders from the other tables.
TJ cut into his biscuits and gravy, and Delaney wondered how he could eat that way and stay so trim.
“What if besides buying the design, we gave you a cut of the profits?” he asked in between bites. “My idea is to eventually do an online store. We could be talking big money.”
“I’ll think about it, TJ.” Which she would. “But it would be a big change from what I do and I have to be certain that it won’t hurt my commercial image.”
He nodded in understanding. “Still, it seems a shame to let such a good design go to waste. With a few modifications, they could be the Rolls-Royce of cargo pants.”
Not that she wanted to be known for creating the “Rolls-Royce” of cargo pants, but she was inquisitive about the modifications. At the same time, she didn’t want to encourage TJ.
“So are you and my brother seeing each other?” he asked.
“No.” The man certainly cut to the chase. “We’re just neighbors.”
“Really? I got the impression the other night that maybe you two might be dating. Ever since . . . uh, he doesn’t get out much.”
“Ever since Lisa?”
TJ just about spit his coffee out. “He told you about her?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize it was a secret.”
“It’s not. The whole damn town saw what she did to him. He’s the one who never talks about it. What did he say?”
“I suppose if he wanted you to know, he would’ve told you.”
TJ smiled. “You’re all right, Delaney Scott.”
* * *
After lunch Delaney popped into Glorious Gifts and browsed while Hannah helped a customer. Hannah had a lot of beautiful items in the store. Delaney checked the handbag inventory to make sure Hannah had gotten the new order.
“I can’t keep them in the shop,” Hannah said. “I’ve already sold half of the new shipment.” She finished ringing up the shopper and afterward came over to Delaney. “You here to check inventory or are you shopping?”
“I just had lunch with TJ.”
Hannah gave her a quizzical look and Delaney explained about his idea to sell the cargo pants.
“You made pants for Colt? That was awfully nice. I thought you two were like cat and dog.”
“We’ve called a truce.” And now we kiss.
“Are you thinking of doing the pants, then?”
“I told TJ I would consider it, but it’s not really the direction I want to go.” But if the court made her take the Delaney Scott name off her existing shoes and handbags, she might have to find a new revenue stream. “What do you think of Garner Adventure selling merchandise?”
“Josh thinks they’re stretched too thin as it is. But honestly, I think it’s a brilliant idea, especially if they open an online store. They’ll probably have to hire someone with retail expertise and that won’t be me. I know retail but nothing about adventure wear and sporting equipment.”
Delaney nodded. “Same here.”
They chatted for a while and then the store got busy again. Delaney said good-bye and decided to stroll down Main Street. For a Wednesday, the boardwalk was busy, full of bicyclists and pedestrians, taking advantage of the last days of summer before school started. She splurged on a piece of chocolate at Oh Fudge! and got a loaf of bread at Tart Me Up. As she passed Old Glory, she noticed a poster promoting Colt’s band. He was playing the night of the End-of-Summer races. The show must’ve been what he’d been talking about on the phone the other day. She made a mental note to put it on her calendar.
“You going?”
She looked up from the picture of Colt on the poster to see him in the flesh.
“I was thinking I might,” she said. “Where are you off to?”
“To pick up a late lunch at the Morning Glory and take it back to my office.”
“I was just there with your brother.”
She saw something flicker in those brown eyes of his but couldn’t quite identify it. Whatever it was, he hadn’t looked happy.
“Win?”
“No, TJ. He wanted to talk to me about the cargo pants and shorts I made you and an idea for selling merchandise.”
Colt seemed to relax. “I told him you wouldn’t be interested. But TJ is pushy that way.”
“I was flattered. I told him I’d think about it.”
“But you’re not, right?”
She shrugged. “He’s so enthusiastic about it that I hate to say no. There may be a way to work something out. I’d have to talk to my people first.”
“It’s up to you. But TJ will understand if you’re not interested. Garner Adventure is small-time compared to the retailers you sell your stuff to. The design is great, though. I’d hate to see it go to waste, especially when you could make a mint from the pants.”
“TJ seemed to think it needed a few modifications.” That had sort of peeved her, which of course was her pride. She certainly wasn’t an expert in adventure wear.
“Did he now?” He took her arm and headed toward the diner. “Walk with me.”
“Do you think they need modifications?”
He pondered it for a bit. “The fit and weight are great, but there are a few things you could do with the pockets that would make them more user-friendly for guides, something more akin to tactical pants.”
“What are tactical pants?”
“They’re close to cargo pants and originally worn by mountain climbers. Cops, soldiers, and firefighters wear them because they’re made specifically to hold their gear, including a heavy gun belt, knives, and cuffs.”
“So more pockets?”
“Maybe not more but configured differently. The pants should have side zips at the bottom of the legs so you can put them on over your crampons and boots.”
“What are crampons?”
“A metal plate with spikes that you put on your boots to walk on ice or rock climb. I’d also include a gusseted crotch for freedom of movement and a little more stretch in the fabric, especially for rock climbers operating in the snow.”
“I never realized how much performance was required from adventure wear. What brands come close to doing all of this?” She’d like to check them out just for the sake of it.
He rattled off a short list. Most of the brands were familiar but she didn’t own anything from the companies.
“It’s a whole different objective than what I do, which is to be fashion forward and flatter the human figure.”
He nodded, then let his eyes roam over her body. His inspection gave her goose bumps.
“You design that?”
She looked down at her white pencil pants and cropped linen jacket. “I did.”
“Then I’d say it’s working, especially the figure part.”
“Was that a compliment on my work or are you flirting with me?”
“I guess both.” The corner of his mouth ticked up.
“Then why did you make such a big point of telling me that you had a hands-off policy when it comes to local women?” She said it with a smile, but he was sending mixed signals.
“Last I looked, I didn’t have my hands on you.”
“You know what I mean.”
He nodded solemnly. “You’re right. My bad, and I apologize.” Colt pointed to the entrance of the Morning Glory. “This is where I get off.”
She went her separate way, wondering what game he was playing. He certainly acted interested for a man who so much as said he wasn’t. Whatever, she told herself. He clearly found her attractive, and if nothing else his compliments gave her a nice boost.
When she got home she went on the Internet to search the brands of pants Colt had told her about. She really should’ve worked on her own stuff but looking at other people’s designs was better than failing at her own. Blowing up a couple of the pictures, she saw what Colt was talking about. The clothes appeared highly functional but definitely lacked in the aesthetics department. Dull colors, boxy fit, and plain old unimaginative. No reason why someone couldn’t be fashionable while climbing the side of a mountain as long as the clothing performed. She got out the pattern she’d used for Colt’s shorts and pants and started to improvise.
Before she knew it, it was dark outside and she had a new pair of pants she thought were better than the first. Only one way to find out. Delaney didn’t want to make the same mistake twice by traipsing over to Colt’s. This time she searched her phone for his number and gave him a jingle.
“Everything okay?” he answered.
“Yes, why wouldn’t it be?”
“I don’t think you’ve ever called me before.” No, she just showed up in the wee hours of the morning, making a fool of herself.
“I made another pair of pants, incorporating some of the elements we talked about.” She waited for him to say something but he didn’t. “I wanted to see what you think.”
“I’m at my parents’ right now for dinner.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll let you go.”
She was just about to disconnect when he said, “I’ll be home in about an hour. You want me to stop by?”
“You don’t have to. I can just leave them on your doorstep and when you get a chance you can let me know what you think.”
“Okay. Delaney, why are you doing this?”
She wondered if he meant why was she bothering him. “Doing what?”
“Trying to perfect a pair of pants you don’t want to make in the first place.”
She let out a breath and shut her eyes. “Because right now it seems to be the only thing I’m good at.”
There was quiet on the other end of the line, then he said, “All right. Talk to you later.”
She gave the pants another good pressing, wrapped them in tissue, stuck them in a bag, crossed the driveway to Colt’s, and left the package where she said she would. When she returned home her answering machine was blinking. Delaney wondered if it was Liz with bad news. Her lawyer often called at odd hours because she was in court most of the day. She pressed the button, holding her breath.
“Hi, Delaney, it’s Karen. Call me as soon as you can. I’ll be up until eleven.”
She rang Karen’s number, wondering what was up. It wasn’t like her ex-office manager to call this late.
Karen picked up almost immediately, as if she were waiting for Delaney. “She’s driving us crazy.”
“Who is?”
“Olivia, the wicked bitch of the West. She’s demanding, moody, and mean. I almost quit today.”
“Oh no.” As much as Delaney felt competitive with Olivia, she didn’t want her former employees to be unhappy. “Don’t do that.”
“Why? She’s impossible to work with.”
“Because it’s a good job and Robert will talk to her.” Delaney was angry with him but Robert was a good employer. He wouldn’t want discord in the ranks.
“Robert bends to her every wish. It’s pathetic, Delaney. This thing with him wanting you to take your name off the existing shoes and handbags—that’s Olivia. She’s threatening to leave over it.”
Delaney wasn’t surprised. She’d suspected Olivia of pulling Robert’s strings. Olivia wanted to be the face of the new Delaney Scott and couldn’t do that if Delaney’s merchandise still carried the name.
“Give her a chance to assimilate. It’s got to be tough walking into a new house and filling the shoes of the designer who founded it.”
“I understand that, Delaney, I really do. But I’m done giving her more chances. I’ve given her too many already. I want to come work for you.”
There was nothing Delaney would like better. Bringing in Karen would solve her staffing problem. Karen had been with Delaney Scott for years and had the skill sets to oversee the entire operation from manufacturing to sales. While Delaney’s warehouse supervisor had been a saint to take on the extra responsibilities, the job called for someone like Karen.
“I would love to have you, Karen, but for all intents and purposes I’m starting from scratch. There’s no guarantee that my new company will thrive the way Delaney Scott does. After all these years, you deserve job security.”
“I’ll risk it.”
Delaney admired Karen’s loyalty. Still, it wouldn’t be fair to take her on if Karen didn’t know what she was getting herself into.
“Karen, do you know what I’ve been spending my days doing?” When Karen didn’t answer, she said, “I’ve been perfecting a design for cargo pants.”
Karen laughed as if it were a joke.
“My neighbor and his family own an adventure tour company. They want to sell my cargo pants. The reason I’m even entertaining the idea is because I can’t design anything else. I’m stuck, completely blocked. For all I know I’ll never be able to design again.”
“I thought your neighbor was the police chief of that little town and you couldn’t stand him.”
“He is, but we’ve buried the hatchet.” If Karen only knew. “Are you listening to me? I haven’t been able to put anything on paper since the divorce. A full year.”
“You’ll get it back,” Karen said, sounding so confident that Delaney almost believed her. “You’ve been under enormous stress. Not just with you and Robert breaking up, but with the settlement hearing. Losing a big chunk of everything you built has to be devastating, Delaney. Cut yourself some slack. Make cargo pants for a while. It can’t hurt.”
Delaney found it hard to believe, but she actually enjoyed creating the cargo pants. Or maybe she was just enjoying having Colt as a muse. If only she could visualize him in an evening gown.
“Can I come work for you?”
Delaney thought about it. There was nothing in the settlement that said she couldn’t employ former personnel from Robert’s company.
“If you want to take the chance, I’d love to have you.”
“Yay! I’ll give my two weeks and start with you in September if that works.”
“I could actually use your organizational skills at the warehouse.”
“When are you coming back to Los Angeles?” Karen asked.
“Not until I have a collection to show to investors. If I feel pressured now, could you imagine how bad it would be in LA?”
“You’ll come up with something fantastic and show up the wicked bitch of the West.”
Delaney appreciated the pep talk, but the thought of competing with Olivia made her stomach churn. What if she was done? Over? She hung up with Karen and proceeded to have a panic attack.