He was trying to rattle me, but I refused to bite. “Some free advice, Moody. A wise man never counts his chickens before they hatch.”
For the first time since I’d heard Jack was in town, doing his best to smear my name, I was happy. Except for Moody, every one of my cops had backed me, Garrett had flown seven hundred miles after one phone call to guard my back, and Jenny had believed in me without hesitation. Not only that, she had recruited her friends to stand up for me. Even if things didn’t go the way I hoped tonight, I was blessed. Not a state of mind I’d ever expected to achieve after what I’d gone through.
“I’m bringing your former partner to the meeting tonight. We’ll see how long you last here after he tells everyone what you did.”
“I should have let you have at him, Daisy,” I murmured after he walked out. “If it doesn’t go well tonight, you’ll still love me, right?” She slobbered doggy love all over my hand in response. I glanced at my watch. “Well, girl, time to face the music. You’re going to have to stay in the car, okay?” In truth I felt like I was facing my execution, but I’d do it with my head held high.
33
~Jenny~
I’d thoughtwe should all sit together right up front—me, my parents, Autumn, Brian, and the twins—like a brick wall surrounding Dylan, protecting him. My dad said no, that we needed to spread out, be in positions to counter anyone deciding to start trouble. That made sense, but I’d claimed a seat in the front row, needing to be as close to Dylan as possible.
That there had even been a special town meeting called, forcing Dylan to speak of things that were no one’s business, infuriated me. I couldn’t begin to imagine how difficult this was going to be for him. Glancing behind me, I saw that the meeting hall was packed. Apparently the entire town had heard about the meeting, because all the seats were taken and people were lining the walls.
“Idiots,” I muttered.
“Did you say something, dear?”
I glanced at Gloria. “No, not a thing.” She and Naomi had come early to get front-row seats, and she had a notepad on her lap, ready to write down everything Dylan said. On the other side of her, Naomi was fiddling with a recorder. Dylan had promised to give them their interview as soon as the witch hunt was over, and that made me angry too. They were like vultures circling the carcass. From the glee in their eyes, I’m sure that was how they saw tonight’s event.
“Has he confided in you?” Naomi asked, leaning around Gloria.
“Why would he tell me his personal business?”Hint, hint, nosy woman.
Gloria rolled her eyes, implying I was being silly. “Because the two of you are an item? Don’t bother denying it, Jenn. The whole town knows you spend nights at his place. Perhaps that’s not wise of you.” She patted my hand. “Not if he killed his wife.”
“He didn’t kill his wife!” The noise of conversations buzzing around us fell silent at my shouted words, and I could feel the eyes on me of those who’d heard me. I had to go outside and get some air before I suffocated. “I’ll be right back.” To further claim my seat, I left my jacket on the metal chair.
It was cold when I stepped out, but I didn’t really feel it. The burning rage inside me kept me warm. When I saw the mayor’s car turn into the parking lot, I stepped to the side of the building, not wanting to have to acknowledge him. He should have put a stop to this circus, should have stood up for his police chief, but the man would never do anything that might harm his reelection chances. No way was I going to vote for him again, though.
After the mayor and his wife disappeared inside, I came out of hiding. Stephanie wasn’t with them, which pleased me. I didn’t want her here, witnessing Dylan’s trial. Because that’s what it was. The town was putting him on trial, and I hated that the people I’d known all my life were eagerly awaiting his arrival so they could hear all the juicy details.
Another car pulled in, the twin to my Mustang. I hadn’t met the man who’d come all the way from Chicago to stand by Dylan’s side. The lot was full, what with everyone and their brother here, but I waited for him to find a place to park. I wanted to meet Dylan’s former boss, assure myself he was up to the task of helping to get Dylan out of this mess.
“Hey, you,” I said, walking up to Dylan when he exited the car.
“My favorite redhead.” He brushed his lips over mine, then glanced around the parking lot. “Looks like the whole damn town is here.”
“Yep. They’re all waiting for the star of the show to arrive.” He must have heard the bitterness in my voice because he gave me a gentle smile.
“It’s okay, Jenny. It was all probably going to come out eventually. Better now. Get it over with, so I can move on.” His gaze lifted toward the west, where the sun was setting behind the mountain. “Either here or somewhere else.”
That shouldn’t bring tears to my eyes since I’d be leaving soon, and whether Dylan was here or not wouldn’t matter. But he loved this town, and as much as he tried to hide it, he was hurting. I could see it in the way his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Is this the lovely Jenny?” a man asked, walking around the front of the car.
Dylan nodded as he put a hand on my shoulder. “Jenny, Garrett Caulder. Garrett, I have the honor of introducing you to a very special lady.”
His words warmed me, as did the way he tucked me next to his side. I ran a critical eye over Garrett Caulder. The first thought that came to mind at seeing him was that he belonged in a boxing ring. He had the appearance of a bruiser with his rugged features and a nose that had obviously been broken at some point. And his body… he looked like he could take on Rocky without breaking a sweat.
When Dylan had told me about him, it was obvious this man had Dylan’s utmost respect. “Mr. Caulder, a pleasure to meet you.” I held out my hand.
He wrapped two big hands around mine, a grin on his face. “None of that Mr. Caulder shit, beautiful Jenny.”
His eyes were warm, and even though I’d just met him, I found that I liked the man. Dylan had warned me that his former boss had a foul mouth, though. I hoped he’d tone it down when we got inside, if he talked. This was the Bible Belt, and at least half those inside would take offense. “Garrett then. You have a packed house waiting for you, Dylan.”
“Guess we better get to it then,” Dylan said.
