Page 11 (2/2)

"About the baby?" she said, nodding to Megan

Dean’s face flushed A bead of sweat trickled down his back and got lost in his button down He licked his lips and opened his mouth to reply

"There he is!"

Dean’s pulse kicked into overdrive with the boo in a blurry haze, and found Clay’sjust behind hi hilared at Clay for a few uneasy seconds Clay’s smile slowly faltered and Dean punched hiht hook Clay’s head jerked violently to the side He staggered backwards, stunned by the blow

Nancy screamed and dropped the casserole dish to the floor It shattered into pieces, covering the custoan bolted from her chair as an olive colored hite trim broke Clay’s fall He shook his head and clutched his wounded jaking at Dean through dazed blue eyes that quickly turned cold as ice "What the hell," he sneered, advancing on Dean with closed fists

Dean cocked his fist and sprang forward just as Megan ju a hand into their chests and glaring up at Dean

"What the hell’s wrong with you?" Clay barked, wiping blood fro with ars in Clay’s face

"What is this all about?" Nancy asked, horrorstricken by the violent outburst in her own holanced at the docuan snatched it instead, ski it fro "What is this?"

"That is the notice he gavethem of the revocation of their liquor license!"

Nancy’s face wrinkled "Girlfriend?"

Megan turned to her father with an icy glare of her own "Is this true?"

Clay ran a hand through his disheveled locks, exhaling a salty breath "That’s what happens when people serve minors in my district"

"They didn’t serve any an "He had their license revoked because I didn’t take you to the doctor this " He snatched the paper from her hands and waved it in Clay’s crumpled face "And for your infor his voice, "this will never stand up in a court of law because their security footage tells a completely different story than the dates on this notice"

Clay stood like a statue, droplets of blood dripping onto his orange Polo shirt

Nancy covered her an looked up into her father’s stormy eyes "Is this true, Daddy?"

"No, it’s not true! I thought you were his girlfriend"

Dean laughed and stuffed the paper into his coat pocket "He’s lying! He saw her picture in my office yesterday, even asked about her He probably hadthe blood from Clay’s chin with a dishtowel, but he pushed her away and spoke in a lol "That is not true"

"Isn’t it?" Dean snapped, pushing past Megan and slaan and Nancy - all smiles in front of the Eiffel Tower - fell to the floor and splintered into pieces that led with the broken casserole dish "You’re such a liar! No wonder you’re a politician" Megan tried wrestling hi Clay to the wall "I bet a lot of people would be interested in your tactics"

Clay stopped resisting and clenched his teeth together "You are sorely an finally shoved Dean back "That is enough, Dean!"

"I should call the police right now!" Clay barked

"Go ahead," Dean fired, spraying Clay’s face with spittle "I’ article when I convince people of the truth, which, by the way, is what I do for a living"

Clay honed his gaze, taking ragged breaths "No one will believe you overin this town"

"Clay!" Nancy shrieked ide eyes

The hint of a grin tugged at one corner of Dean’s mouth "We’ll see about that, Mayor" He storh the front door The fresh air felt good against his skin Out of respect for Nancy, he resisted the urge to kick over awith purple azaleas

Clay followed him outside "Dean, I’m sorry!" he yelled from the porch

Dean stopped at the botto around

"Daddy, please!" Megan cried froan!" Clay ordered, turning back to Dean "I swear to you, Dean, I had no idea it was your girlfriend’s place The police run these underage stings, not me I just enforce the consequences"

Dean stared at his Jeep in the street, hisand Dean knew it He opened his o to hell but continued for his car instead

"I can get it reversed!"

Dean stopped again, his pulse racing Slowly, he turned to face Clay, beads of sweat rolling fro over her shoulder

"Get back inside that goddaan slahborhood to hear Clay returned his attention to Dean and sighed "This isn’t the kind of start I wanted, Dean, not with a baby cohed in his face "You mean the baby we don’t even know is an and herroom , their brows folded in horror

Clay dropped his head and lassy eyes "Dean, I pro to do with this, but I will take care of it first thing in the "

Dean studied him in silence "If you don’t, I’ll be back for ize for the confusion and hope you won’t take this out on Megan She has nothing to do with any of this and needs you by her side now ru under his breath

Clay waited until Dean was down the street before digging his cell phone from a front pocket He poked at the screen and put it to his ear, wiping blood fro stopped when someone answered, but no one said hello

Clay inhaled a deep breath of the evening’s war his teeth "We need to talk"