Town Darling (20 page)

“Not what I heard,” Tucker
teased.  “A little bird told me our sheriff got plastered Tuesday night and was
seen with a drunken Casey on his lap.  Apparently there was some serious
groping and possibly a little tongue action.”

Vaughn shifted in his chair
and was obviously embarrassed.  “You may want to double check your sources.”

“You were seen leaving with
her.”

“No, Casey left on her
horse,” Vaughn informed him.  “Her brother gave me a ride home.”

“You didn’t get home until
noon yesterday,” Tucker announced then grinned.  “Come on, Vaughn, I’m your
best friend.  Give up some details.  Did you bang Casey or what?”

“No, I didn’t
bang
Casey,” he scoffed.  “Grey let me sleep it off in a guestroom.  There were
three other men in the house including her ex-boyfriend.”

Tucker shook his head and
frowned.  “I’m disappointed in you.”

There was another knock on
the door.  Mitchell walked into the office, eyed Vaughn, pointed, and chuckled.

“Congratulations, Sheriff!”

Vaughn suddenly groaned. 
“Nothing happened.”

“According to Wiley
something happened,” Mitchell announced cheerfully.

“Wiley?” Vaughn asked then
frowned.  “Why does he hate me so much?”

“Hate you?  He’s proud of
you,” Mitchell said.  “Guess you and Casey finally kissed and made up--or is
that ‘made out’?”

Vaughn again shifted in his
chair.  “Okay, Tuesday night if officially closed for discussion.”

“We can always discuss
Wednesday morning,” Tucker teased.

“The two of you are like a
couple of horny teenage boys.  Moving on--”

Both deputies appeared
disappointed that there wouldn’t be any details or even an admission to what
happened.  It was back to business as usual.

“June stopped by with the
bachelor auction schedule,” Mitchell informed him.  “She was adamant about
keeping us last in line.  She is also quoted as saying, ‘Sheriff Holt needs to
suck it up and shake his thing for charity’.”

“That’s really nice--coming
from a seventy-year-old lady,” Vaughn scoffed. 

“Earnest Harford was
looking for you,” Tucker informed him.  “He seemed pissed.”

“When doesn’t Earnest seem
pissed?” Vaughn remarked with little interest.  “I assume it has something to
do with the incident in Town Square yesterday evening.”

“How did you guess?” Tucker
teased.

“Dumb luck,” he replied. 
“Did you get a straight answer out of either of his boys?”

“They said they were
minding their business when someone got the slip on them,” Mitchell replied. 
“When they came to, they were naked and tied to the cannon.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they were
minding their own business,” Vaughn scoffed.

“A couple of people
reported seeing Ernest’s car cruising slowly past the Remington farm driveway
several times since Casey kicked the crap out of his boys,” Tucker added.

“When the rest of our
rent-a-cops arrive, I want them to include the Remington farm in their sweeps,”
Vaughn informed them.  “I also want them to keep an eye on Ernest and his
boys.  I don’t want any trouble out of them during the fair.”

“You’ve got it,” Tucker
said.

Both Tucker and Mitchell
stood and left the office.  Vaughn leaned back in his chair and appeared to
sink reflectively into thought.  He finally leaned forward and worked on his
computer.  He checked his email messages from yesterday.  Most were photos of
the incident with Wayne and Ryan outside Town Hall.  He held back his laugh
then opened a confidential file.  As he read, his expression suddenly dropped
and concern swept over his face.

“Oh, Casey.  What have you
done?”

Vaughn printed out the
report, grabbed his jacket, and hurried from his office.

T
he fairgrounds entrance was
guarded by a rental cop to keep non-essential people out of the way while
vendors set up rides and games in preparation for their busy week.  Anyone
entering was required to provide their name in order to gain access to the
extremely busy area.  Workers and vendors milled around in preparation for the
upcoming events in two days.  Casey’s horse was tied just inside the gates. 
Despite the commotion, the horse wasn’t the least bit affected by cars and
trucks coming and going.  Toward the back of the fairgrounds, there was a
bustle of activity surrounding the stage area.  Grey talked with Wiley toward
the back of the bleachers by the sound system while the talent show contestants
rehearsed their routines on stage.  Casey, Dina, and several other contestants
sat on the front row bleachers before the stage and watched Melanie practice
her tap dance routine in workout clothing. 

Casey appeared tense and
leaned closer to Dina, who sat alongside her.  “She’s better than I remember.”

Her comment seemed to be
the same sediments shared by the other contestants.  They all whispered while
watching the very talented and attractive Melanie perform.  Abby sat on the
bleachers on the opposite side of the aisle and proudly watched her daughter’s
dance routine.

Dina leaned closer to Casey
and whispered back, “It’s all about how you look up there.  Remember, the judges
like to see a little leg and cleavage.”

“Are you sure we need to be
here?” Casey asked softly.  “I don’t see the point to this.  Grey didn’t see
the point.”

“Practicing at home and
being on the actual stage are completely different,” Dina insisted.  “It has a
different feel, makes different sounds, and the elevation sometimes throws
performers off.  Trust me.”

Casey frowned and attempted
to relax.  As Melanie finished her act, the other participants exchanged more
comments with disgust.  Abby applauded enthusiastically.  Melanie walked
offstage and smirked at Casey as she passed.  Their new rivalry was almost
baffling to Casey.  She knew she’d gotten into it with Melanie the other night
at the tavern, but it seemed as if the rivalry had been going on much longer
than that.  Casey was almost certain it had something to do with Sheriff Holt. 
Abby handed Melanie a towel as she approached and praised her. 

Wiley was heard speaking
into the microphone from behind the stands.  “Casey, you’re up next.”

Melanie appeared interested
and remained to watch her performance.  Casey eyed Dina for reassurance.  Dina
grinned and nodded her toward the stage.  Casey reluctantly walked on stage and
awaited her music.  Wiley turned on the music from the sound system while Dina
coached Casey on dance steps.  Casey made an effort to dance to the music but
got the steps wrong.  She appeared very stiff and awkward.  Her dance routine
was borderline embarrassing.  Melanie hid her humored smile and exchanged a few
words with her mother.  Both took pleasure in Casey’s obvious failure.  The
other contestants talked quietly and appeared equally stunned by Casey’s
unprepared routine.  Once the song ended, Casey was quick to exit the stage. 
Dina hurried to join her and tried to reassure her that she just needed a
little more practice.

Toward the back of the
bleachers, Wiley stood with Grey and watched in silence.  Wiley’s smile was
twisted into a slight grimace, but he appeared unable to say anything negative
about Casey to Grey.  Grey had his arms folded across his chest and held his
chin.  The look on his face was something between horrified and embarrassed.

Wiley spoke into the
microphone.  “Dina, you’re up next.”

Dina nodded, gave Casey a
reassuring pat on the shoulders, and then hurried onto stage for her
rehearsal.  Casey ignored the looks and whispers from the other contestants and
returned to the bleachers to watch Dina’s performance.  Wiley turned to Grey
and offered a timid smile.

“I know we schedule
contestants according to when they sign up,” Wiley began, “but perhaps Casey
would be less nervous if she went on closer to the beginning.  Most of our
performers feel intimidated following Melanie.”

Grey appeared to fume
silently and could barely look at Wiley.  He finally collected himself and
managed a smile.  “No, we’re fine with last spot,” Grey announced with
conviction.  “She was better at home.  She has another two days to get the
routine down.  She’ll be fine.”

Wiley smiled and nodded. 
“I’m sure she’ll be terrific.”

Once Dina was finished with
her routine, she joined Casey and they approached Grey and Wiley near the
back.  Grey glared at Casey then turned and walked away.  Wiley smiled
cheerfully at both women.

“You were both terrific,”
he announced.  “Why don’t you take these last two days to polish your
routines?  You’ll be fantastic on Saturday night.”

Casey managed a weak
smile.  Wiley hadn’t changed any since she’d been gone.  She could do no wrong
in his mind.  It was sweet and troubling at the same time.  It may have taken
two years of absence, but she’d grown to love Wiley and understood his
fatherly
feelings for her.  Casey and Dina left the stage area and hurried after Grey,
who appeared reluctant to wait for them.  They caught up to him and walked
across the bustling fairgrounds in the direction of the main entrance.  Once
they were out of earshot of the busy vendors, Grey suddenly stopped and turned
to face Casey with the rage evident in his eyes.

“What the hell was that?”
Grey demanded, as the vein in his temple appeared ready to explode.

Casey appeared surprised by
his tone toward her but contained her reaction.  “Dina said we should practice
on stage.”

“That wasn’t part of the
plan,” he snapped hotly while throwing his arms around in a fit of rage.  “You
almost got moved from last spot.  If Wiley wasn’t so hot for you, he may have
bumped you altogether!”

“It’s my fault, Grey,” Dina
announced timidly.

He spun toward Dina and
pointed a warning finger at her, startling her.  “Things have to go according
to plan,” he lashed out.  “I won’t have anyone messing this up!” 

Dina stared at him with
surprise and a look of possible concern.  She appeared unable to respond at
first.  She timidly replied with a soft, “I’m sorry.”

Grey’s mood softened as he
fidgeted.  He appeared to be wrestling with some particularly unpleasant
demons.  “No, I’m sorry,” he said more gently while running his fingers through
his hair.  He avoided looking at either woman.  “I’m just a little tense.  This
is very important, that’s all.”

He turned and continued
toward the main entrance with both following.  There was a long silence.  Casey
then looked around and realized something was missing.

“What happened to our
partners in crime?” Casey asked.

“Off doing whatever it is
they do that I don’t want to know about,” Grey muttered.

Vaughn was seen approaching
from the main entrance in the near distance.  All three saw him heading in
their direction.

Grey suddenly groaned
softly and rolled his eyes with disgust.  “Great, just what I need,” he scoffed
softly.  “One of you needs to distract him with a blowjob or something.  I
can’t deal with him right now.”

Casey and Dina glared at
Grey.  Neither was humored by the comment.  As Vaughn approached, Grey
immediately turned on the charm.

“Sheriff Holt, I see you survived
those tequila shots,” Grey announced pleasantly.

Vaughn paused before them
and glanced at Dina.  “Dina, would you mind excusing us?” he announced firmly.

Dina appeared surprised
then concerned and shifted nervously.  “I’ll meet you guys at the shop.”  She
continued toward the main entrance.

“Is something wrong,
Sheriff?” Grey asked while giving him an innocent look.  “If it’s about what
happened at the tavern, I swear, I didn’t show those pictures to anyone.”

Vaughn lacked patience and
appeared unusually authoritative.  “Drop the good brother, bad sister act,” he
firmly announced, surprising both.  “I want to know why you’re here and what
you brought into my town.”

“What are you talking
about?” Grey asked innocently.

Vaughn removed the folded
paper from his pocket and handed it to Grey.  Grey unfolded the paper and
glanced at it.  His expression twisted into something resembling a sneer.

“I’m talking about your
‘family friends’,” Vaughn remarked sternly and glared at both.  “Former Special
Ops with sealed military records.  There’s a string of charges against those
two from assault to attempted murder.”

Grey glared at Vaughn and
carelessly returned the paper.  “I don’t see anything about arrests or
convictions.”

Vaughn was losing his
patience with them.  “I think the two of you came back for revenge, and you
brought your little friends to help you.”

Grey smirked with a strange
look on his face.  He looked like a cobra preparing to strike.  “Revenge is an
ugly word, Sheriff,” he remarked lowly.  “I’m sorry if we’re still a little
pissed about our parents’ being butchered.”  Grey stiffened while glaring at
Vaughn.  Grey appeared to be restraining himself from reacting, but it came off
frightening all the same.  “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have work to do.” 
Grey nodded to Casey.  “Come on.”

Casey turned without
hesitation and headed toward the main gate with her brother.  Grey headed
through the gate and into town while Casey untied her horse.  Vaughn approached
her.  She didn’t look at him.

“I don’t like being played,
Casey,” Vaughn boldly informed her.  “I really thought you’d finally stopped
blaming me for what happened that night.”

Casey mounted her horse
without comment and appeared ready to ride away.  She then hesitated and looked
at him as he stood near her horse.

“I don’t have to blame
you,” Casey informed him.  “You’re doing that enough for both of us.”

Vaughn stared at her in
silence.  Casey looked past him and frowned.  Melanie and Abby were approaching
from across the fairgrounds.

“Great, here comes your
girlfriend,” she muttered.

Vaughn didn’t even look
back.  He stared into Casey’s eyes, despite her refusal to look at him.  He
placed his hand on her leg, catching her attention.  She stared into his
sorrowful eyes from her elevated position on her horse.

“Please, Casey,” he said
gently.  “Assure me you don’t intend to do anything stupid.”

“No, I already did that the
other night,” she announced simply, removed his hand from her leg, and sent her
horse into a gallop across the fairgrounds toward the woods.

Vaughn watched her ride
across the back of the fairgrounds.  She disappeared onto the trail in the
woods.  He frowned and groaned with disgust.  Melanie and Abby approached him
from behind and stared after Casey as well.

“Poor Vaughn,” Melanie announced
with a sigh.  “Casey Remington slipped through your fingers once again.”  She
then smiled slyly.  “When are you going to learn your lesson?”

Vaughn didn’t bother
looking back at either, although his look conveyed his emotions.  “Go to hell,
Mel,” he scoffed and headed toward the gate and his police blazer.

Melanie hurried after him
while Abby walked behind in less of a rush.  Melanie walked alongside him, kept
stride, and maintained her grin.  He refused to look at her.

“Face it, Vaughn,” she announced. 
“You and I were meant to be together.”

He didn’t stop and refused
to respond.  Melanie remained persistent and followed him to his blazer.  She
stepped in front of his police cruiser, stopping him from opening the door with
her body.  He finally looked her in the eyes.

“Get out of my way,” he
growled.

“I’m not giving up on this
relationship,” she replied.

“There is no relationship,”
Vaughn retorted hotly.  “There’s just you being a bitch as usual.”

Abby hung back to give them
some privacy.  Melanie was a little surprised by his tone but brushed it off
and managed a smile.

“I’m willing to forgive you
for dumping me,” she informed him.

“Well, good for you,” he
remarked, “but I’m not willing to forgive you for that shit you pulled on me.”

Melanie suddenly became
offended and sneered at Vaughn.  “She’s going to bomb in the talent show.”

“What are you talking
about?” Vaughn remarked impatiently.

“Casey’s act for the talent
show,” she replied.  “She’s going to embarrass herself in front of the entire
town and possibly the whole county.”

“I don’t have time for
this, Mel,” he announced.  “Go bother someone else.”  He pushed her aside.

Melanie purposely fell to
the ground and clutched her shoulder. 

Vaughn looked at her and
appeared unimpressed.  “I’m not falling for that,” he informed her.

Abby ran to Melanie’s
fallen side and helped her to her feet.  She turned and glared at Vaughn. 
“What’s wrong with you?” Abby launched hotly.  “What sort of man assaults a
defenseless woman?”