Free Bringing Delaney Home (Cates Brothers #1) by Lee Kilraine Page B

admit Hawk was right about one thing: they’d become so predictable. “I saw rain in the forecast later. That might keep it a little quieter tonight.”
    “I don’t need quieter. I would just like something different one Friday night.” Hawk chugged his coffee like it was his job before pouring another to go. “Okay, I’ll make the first round over to McClatchy’s farm, if you want to—”
    “Excuse me, Cates. Rojas responded to a call for a drunk and disorderly over at Yadkin’s about thirty minutes ago.” Candy Nguyen, one of the department dispatchers, had poked her head around the doorjamb and into the room.
    Quinn’s attention was focused on filling up his own coffee to go. “And?”
    “Well, it apparently didn’t go so well, and he just called for backup. Specifically, you.”
    “I can go,” Hawk said.
    Candy shook her head. “Well, sure, but the D and D involves his girl.”
    Quinn’s hand jerked, splashing coffee onto the back of his hand. Ouch. His girl ? What? “My girl?”
    “Delaney.”
    Delaney. His girl. Damn, he liked the sound of that.
    “Things sure are interesting around here ever since you brought her back,” Candy said, her forehead an accordion of worried wrinkles. “I haven’t seen the Grapevine this stirred up in ages.”
    Delaney did seem to bring the funky cheese dip to the party. What had he said a few days ago? A walking, talking trouble magnet. He grabbed his coffee and headed out to his car in quick strides, because with Delaney, you never knew.
     
    Yadkin’s Depot, originally a train station from the 1940s, had been refurbished with an industrial modern décor a few years ago into the only hot spot for the twenty to thirty-something crowd in town. During the day, the large glass windows allowed bright sunlight to stream in, but at night the lighting was dim, the drinks flowing and the waitresses busy.
    Quinn pulled up and parked at the curb behind Rojas’s unit. He climbed out, noting everything seemed normal and quiet, but then he’d seen Delaney drunk before and, other than some crying, she wasn’t disorderly. At least not the last time.
    As he pushed open the heavy wooden door, the first thing that hit him was the country music. Normal. The clientele was a little quiet for a Friday night crowd, and they were all gathered around a central spot over by one of the large round tables. Quinn glanced over at the bartender, Joe, whose smile split his face wide. He gestured toward the crowd with a tilt of his head and said, “Feisty woman, that Delaney.”
    Which could mean anything. Oh, boy. He plowed his way through the crowd. Once they realized who he was, the crowd parted for him.
    Quinn found Officer Rojas, Delaney, and Barbara sitting around the table, looking at each other. Delaney and Barbara? That wouldn’t end well. Rojas was facing him, and the rookie looked frustrated, confused, and in over his head.
    Rojas sat opposite Barbara with Delaney between the two of them at the round oak table. Since Delaney sat to the side, he could only see the left side of her face, but it was enough to see she was pissed about something. Barbara sat closest to Quinn. She was facing the table with her back toward him and she appeared to be . . . handcuffed to her chair?
    Well, that was something different. Rojas glanced up at him then, his body sagging in relief. Quinn stepped up to the table behind Barbara. “Everything okay here? Barbara?”
    “Quinn! It’s about time you got here. No, everything isn’t okay. Look at me! Delaney cuffed me to the chair! I want you to arrest her right now!”
    “Hey there, Laney. Where’d you get the cuffs?” He glanced down at the cuffs again and realized they were police issue. Delaney cuffed her? Oh, hell, that had to be a scuffle the whole cop shop would’ve paid to see. He glanced at Rojas, who shook his head once, then cut his eyes over to Delaney. Delaney watched Rojas as if daring him to make a move. Crap.
    Quinn pinched the