“So, where you living now?”
Garrett swallowed the rest of his current beer before answering. “In Wickenburg.”
“Ack, Canterbury is better. If you want to move, just say the word. I can get you out of your lease in a heartbeat.”
“No lease. Got my own place. You don’t think I’d dare entrust my living quarters to you girls, do you?”
Mason laughed again, his bigger than life smile and personality a hit with the ladies. The man was only serious when he was on the job and even then, it was sporadic. “You should join us for a few games.” With his head, he gestured toward the pool table at the back of the bar. “I wouldn’t mind drinking for free all night.”
Garrett pointedly looked behind Mason. “We? You still playing with imaginary friends?”
“Yeah, you know Hatcher and Clark. We also recruited Alvarez and Maddox after Jenkins and Garcia transferred to the Peoria station. They allimaginethemselves good pool players.” Another laugh followed that statement. “You should join us. We need some—ah shit, they’re here.”
He turned in his chair to see all four Canterbury firefighters walking in.
“Look who I found!” Mason yelled loud enough to be heard in the parking lot.
They all came over to greet him, Cole last. Beers were ordered as he traded insults with each of them. They hadn’t changed as far as he could see, except maybe brawnier. Cole must have prevailed on the chief to add the gym he’d always wanted when he first transferred.
They probably wouldn’t see changes in him either. But a lot had happened in the five years he’d been gone.
Cole, as usual, took charge. “Why don’t you boys start? I’ll be over for the next round. I’m going to see if I can’t get Walker to join us.”
As the firefighters headed for the pool table, Cole took the seat next to him. “I’m guessing you being here tonight wasn’t a coincidence.”
He lifted his draft in salute. “I always said you were the smart one.”
Cole’s gaze moved from his. “Smart, maybe, but lately I’ve been dropping balls everywhere. I can’t even remember were some of them rolled to.”
“Too much on your plate?”
He nodded.
“I hate to add more to it, but I wanted to talk to you about Wyatt.”
“Wyatt?” Cole’s brows lowered in confusion.
The man really did have too much on his plate. “Yes, Wyatt Ford, the grandson of Earl Ford where the most recent rescue horses are coming from?”
“Yes. Like I said, can’t even find where the stupid balls have rolled.” Cole took a swig of beer then set his glass on the bar. “What about Wyatt? When I talked to him at the ranch, he was pretty broken up. Had a hard time staying focused. He kept repeating that he had to be sure the horses were well cared for. That’s why I invited him to stay at Last Chance for a while until he was satisfied they would have a good life there.”
“Yeah, I got the feeling his obsession about the horses had to do with his loss as well, but it can be irritating.”
“How so?”
He didn’t want to make Wyatt appear a pain in the ass, but he very easily could be. “When I picked up the mare, he had me read two pages of instructions on how to transport the horses.”
Cole picked up his beer and took another swallow before responding. “That could be a problem, especially if he shows up at Last Chance with an entire book. Those horses are just older. They’re not nearly as complicated as others we’ve had. His loss of perspective could rub people the wrong way.”
That’s what he was afraid would happen. “Do you think it’s the loss of his grandfather or just the way he is?”
“I have no idea. I was there the day after the old man passed and Wyatt was a mess. I barely spent fifteen minutes with him. I guess we’ll find out.”
Except it wouldn’t be Cole and himself who would have to deal with the man, which brought him to his real reason for catching Cole. “Or rather, Riley will find out.”
This time Cole let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, that. If Wyatt’s like you say, that’s going to rub Riley all the wrong way. Damn.”
“What’s her story?” He tried to make it a nonchalant comment, but from the odd look Cole gave him, he didn’t quite pull it off.
