Snow in Texas

Chapter Seventeen: Colin.

Seventeen

Colin

Candy poured a second glass. "Have a drink. Take a load off." He glanced up, grinning sharply. "'Course, guess you already did that."

"Candy–"

"Nah. Don't talk to me until we're drinking."

Colin waited until there was a glass of Scotch in front of him, and then threw it back. He'd been pleasantly sleepy when he left the dorm, but now felt wired and awake. Without being asked, Candy refilled his glass and he sipped at that a little slower.

"You and Jenny," Candy said.

Colin shrugged. "I won't deny it. Yeah. Me and Jenny."

The big blonde Texan studied him a long moment. "I know my sister well enough to know that she doesn't enter into things lightly." He snorted. "Or let things enter into her lightly."

A tasteless joke for a brother to make, and Colin glared at the man. "If you're trying to suggest I did something to her against her will–"

"Of course not. To tell the truth, I've been waiting on this moment."

"Then why do you look like you want to break that bottle on the bar and stab me in the face with it?"

"Because she's my sister, and she's been through hell," Candy said. "And even if I was orchestrating this, it doesn't mean I have to like it all that much."

"Orchestrating?"

"I'm just one man, and I've got lots of obligations. I want someone to look out for Jen."

"You psychic?" Colin asked, bristling with anger. He felt used, even if that made no sense. "You knew you'd bring me out here and I'd fall for her?"

"Fall, is it?" Candy grinned, the expression wrong and dark, humorless. "Well, that's better than I thought."

"Candy." Colin sighed. "What the fuck? If you want to tell me to be good to her, to not hurt her, fine. Hell, I'm about ten seconds away from tracking down her ex and running a pickax through his eye."

Candy grinned, widely, genuinely this time.

"But I don't know what kind of game we're playing here. I'm a prospect, yeah. But I like your sister. I like her. And I respect her. If that's not allowed, then you can have this now." He grabbed for the cut he wasn't wearing, but Candy seemed to read the gesture.

Candy's head tipped back, expression turning thoughtful. "Riley killed my father, you know."

Colin felt a sudden grab in his stomach, another urge to do violence for his girl. Shit...yeah, that was Jenny, at this point. She was his girl, until she insisted otherwise. "No. I didn't know."

Another long, blue stare. Then Candy nodded. "Finish getting dressed and meet me out front. It's time you met Crockett."

~*~

They rode for several miles, the dark landscape a blur around them. Finally they turned down a road cornered by two dueling gas stations – Jamie's and Swafford's, by their signs – and dotted with modest homes dressed in wood siding. Candy turned his bike in at the driveway of a small rust-colored place with cream trim, and dainty lace curtains in the windows. "His daughter's old place," he said as they dismounted and doffed their helmets. "He moved in here after she died."

Shit.

Colin nodded, taking note of the man's solemn mood.

"A service does the lawn," Candy explained as they went up the front walk. "And a girl comes to cook and clean for him. He don't do much."