If Colt were a more aware man he may have understood that the rotating array of pretty women that filtered in and out of his life at a dizzying pace was a horrifically stereotypical middle child?s cry for attention. With them, he was the focus. At least for a night. As false and hollow as it was, he?d take it, revel in it, and then ditch them before they had the opportunity to realize that he wasn?t the man that his older brother was. He would never be Rhett. He?d never be as tough or as intelligent. He?d never be Ford. He?d never be as strong or as good looking. He?d never be Jackie. He?d never draw in people like moths to a flame or console them with ease.

He would always just be Colt, the Daniels? goofy screw up.

If Colt was able to take a hard, unbiased look at his life, he may have seen how that need for attention leaked on over to his relationship with Tenacity. Ten had been nothing but loyal, nothing but true. Yet, still, he waited for the other shoe to drop. He waited for her to realize what he felt everyone else had always known -- he wasn?t worth her time or attention. If he had taken the time for introspection, maybe he would have realized the dangerous path he was headed down. Maybe he would understood that his real danger in losing her was his inability to trust that she wanted him.

But he wasn?t more aware and he certainly wasn?t in the mood to take an unbiased look at his life. And that was how he had ended up standing at the corner of Gordon and Lee in front of Thomaston?s favorite haunt -- The Pool Room.

So the path from Point A to Point B was a little more indirect than all of that. There had been a fight with Ten. She had directed him not to do anything stupid so that, in fact, was exactly what he had set his mind to doing. Although, if asked, he would certainly assert that he was here to protect DeeDee?s honor. It was a two birds, one stone sort of deal.

The sun was sinking beneath the historic brick buildings of ?downtown? Thomaston as Colt pulled open the door and stepped inside. The billiards room was smoky haze that illustrated the bar exemption in Georgia?s statewide public smoking ban. It overwhelmed his overly sensitive nose, dulling out every other scent until he could filter it out. But he wouldn?t need his sense of smell to find the man he was looking for.

?Well, hell, if it ain?t Colton Daniels.? A feminine voice interrupted his search and he lifted a hand in greeting to it without even letting his eyes drift to find its owner. For once, his mind was not on Georgia peaches.

Dave Braniff was illuminated by an overhead pendant light as he set his bottle down on the edge of the pool table and leaned over it to make his shot. The handful of Dave?s friends around the table blocked Colt?s view of the ball but it seemed by the smug look on Dave?s face as he rose that the shot was successful.

It was then as Dave set his pool stick and reached for his beer that he spotted Colt cutting a path through the crowded room towards him. A wide smile spread across his lips. ?Colt! Where?ve you been, man? Sheryl, get my friend a beer! It?s on--?

The words were choked off in his throat as one of Colt?s large arms crossed over Dave?s chest, shoving him up against the wall hard enough to rattle the framed Julio Jones jersey beside Dave?s head. The background of whispers drawing attention to the confrontation were ignored as an angry growl erupted from Colt. ?Look here, asshole. I know you?re the one that?s been passin? on those photos of DeeDee. Internet porn?s the only action you get. But, let me tell you somethin?, you made a gigantic mistake decidin? to harass a Daniels. Do you understand me??

There was a hesitation as a denial died on Dave?s lips before it could be spoken. Dave?s wide, startled eyes remained fixed on Colt. ?It was on the internet. I just passed it around to a couple of people.?

?C?mon, C.D. You don?t wanna do this.? A strong hand landed on Colt?s shoulder, firmly pulling him back away from Dave. He didn?t need to glance over his shoulder to recognize Todd Connelly?s voice. For a moment, the calm reason in his old Pop Warner teammate?s voice dialed back the tension in Colt?s form.

Colt let his arm drop from Dave?s body as he took a slow step back. This was wrong. DeeDee would kill him for rushing to her defense. Noticing that his words seemed to have an impact, Todd slapped a hand firmly against Colt?s back. ?There you go. Let?s you and I walk over to the bar and get a drink. Meg is here tonight. Bet we can get you laid before the night is out.?

Confident that Colt?s temper had been reigned in by Todd?s intervention and uneasy by a crowded room seeing him shoved into a wall, the smug smile formed on Dave?s lips again. ?Yeah. Why don?t you walk away before I put my boot so far up your--?

Again, the words were never finished. The first blow that landed as Colt ripped himself away from Todd?s guiding hand fell against the side of Dave?s face. Two inches shorter and quite a bit lighter, the man never had the opportunity to mount much of a fight. Dave didn?t have the advantage of time spent in weight room perfecting a professional athlete?s body nor had he had the years of Rhovnik training. That he was able to land a glancing blow or two on Colt was a wonder in and of itself.

Todd scrambled forward once more to try to pull Colt back and in the moment a very winded Dave snatched the bottle still sitting on the edge of the pool table and brought it down hard against the edge, shattering it to create a jagged, dangerous weapon. Struggling against the unyielding hands gripping onto his shirt, Colt had limited motion as Dave swiped the bottle inward. Colt?s bottom jaw tightened through the pain as the glass cut through the flesh of his forearm.

The shock of a broken bottle suddenly having been introduced to the fight caused Todd to instantly release his hold. Colt reached forward to the wrist holding the offending bottle and twisted it violently back around, using Dave?s own momentum against him. The bottle dropped as a pained cry erupted with the snapping of bone. With a vicious shove, Dave was sent face first back into the wall. His head hit the edge of a neon Miller sign before his body fell lifelessly to the ground.

Shoving his way in through the door with the sense of purpose that suggested someone had grabbed him off the street and informed him of the fight, Rhett Daniels pressed his way through the crowd. As shock over the easygoing bird dog?s sudden shift to a snapping, savage junkyard dog kept the rest of the patrons from intervening, it was Rhett and Todd that finally pulled Colt away from his unconscious childhood friend.

But even then, the fight didn?t die. Colt?s eyes swept past Dave, ignoring the hands that kept him in place as he glared daggers towards the rest of the room. ?Anybody else have any goddamn pictures they?d like to share??

The only answer to the question lingering in the unnaturally quiet billiards room was the piercing sound of sirens growing ever closer.

Parked under the shade of the enveloping old oaks that protected the dirt road on which the nexus portal lay down, Colt drummed his fingers against the steering wheel of his pickup truck. The temperature in south Georgia was just a shade under eighty degrees and the forest that surrounded this rarely used patch of ground was brimming with life.

He had to eventually go forward. His life was in RhyDin and the only thing waiting for him on this side of the nexus were the assault charges he'd just picked up and would eventually have to deal with. But he wasn't quite ready to drive into that twisting ball of energy. Right now, he just wanted to linger a moment longer with the windows down and the radio playing low, enjoying the quiet spring afternoon.

The bike was new and fast, the brand was a Hadley, a brand found only in one of the close hops from the Nexus but no one had every questioned her on it. It looked like one of those Japanese bikes that most men rode trying to kill themselves by seeing how fast they could go. No one had ever accused her of being anywhere near this side of safe and she hit the portal going a good seventy miles an hour. She did have a helmet on though, that should've earned her some points right? With the helmet she was also wearing a black and red leather jacket, black pants and sturdy dock martin boots. It was only because she was young and quick on the up take that she didn't slam into the truck that was there, right where it shouldn't of ought to have been.

Besides his truck and Jackie's older red pickup, he'd yet to see another vehicle head through this particular nexus point. The bike bursting through the sphere of energy, breaking apart the afternoon's serenity, left him startled. "What in the hell?" He asked in shock as he pulled open the door of the truck and stepped out.

The bike spun in a quick circle to bled the speed off and come to a stop, nearly tossing it down to stomp over. She was yelling before looking, tugging the helmet off and shaking out her blonde hair, this week there were streaks of fire-engine red mixed in. "Well I ain't never! Whut in tarnation were you tryin' to do? Kill me?" The southern accent was laying on thick, she used it like a tool, most people thought you were slow if you were from the South.

He hesitated for a moment as the hair and the voice rattled him further. Then the door to the truck was slammed shut. This could not be happening. "Summer?"

It was only when he said her name that she actually took a look at who she was yelling at and after a moment of stunned silence laughed. "Well I'll be, Colt? Is that you? It... whut I mean is this inn't whut it looks like." A glance back at the portal then at him, her eyes narrowing for a moment. There were some that underestimated Colt because he was a jock, but she knew there was more sense in that thick skull than even he gave credit toward.

"It looks like you just used my damn portal." And all of this after Jackie told him not to let anymore of their cousins follow him into RhyDin. She was starting to feel like she was running a home for wayward Daniels women... which, as the Daniels men would insist, was every Daniels woman. He shook his head sternly, crossing towards her and the bike. "Did you follow me through there at some point?"

Eyes went wide and she tossed the helmet down on the ground so she could get into a proper angry stance, hands on hips and leaning forward. "Did I follow you? Who was it jes came through that there portal?" Pointing at the portal and then at herself then the hand going back to the hip. Getting up a good huff was natural as breathing for the Southern girl, didn't matter none that this was one of her favorite people, he had obviously forgotten who he was talking with!

Okay, so she had a point. It had been a long couple of days and sleeping in a jail cell hadn't exactly been conducive to a good night's rest. A hand was pressed against his forehead as he thought the situation through for a moment before finding a line of questioning in order to continue. "Alright. So... you know about RhyDin, I'm assumin'? How long have you known?"

That mollified her, if it had been anyone else she might have kept up the front but it had been months since she'd seen him and she was happy to see him now, even if it meant this awkward situation. Closing the distance she tossed herself at him, arms going around his shoulders. "You dun look like hell boy. Beddin' down with some coon or jes lackin' beauty sleep?" Ignoring the question for a moment while she got her thoughts together. Of all the ways she thought she'd be caught this wasn't one of them.

The hand on his forehead fell and an arm wrapped around Summer. God, how he had needed a hug. Breathing her in, he exhaled slowly before answering the question. "I just got released from jail. DeeDee let some photographer take some pictures where she wasn't... well, fully clothed. Dave Braniff was passin' them 'round. Whole town's abuzz with it. I came back to deal with it."

"Oh lord, when will you learn that Daniels women don't need no man to be dealing with our business." The accent lightened up and the words were softly teasing. Her expression said it was a lesson that no Daniels man was ever like to learn, nor did she really expect it. "I had heard something of the like but I've been busy and had hoped it'd blow ov'r. I member last time DeeDee got herself in trouble, she took care of it but I suppose this was a mite much." Leaning back and throwing a playful punch at his gut. "Still, going and gettin' tossed in jail ain't likely tuh be helpin'."

Then something occurred to her and she slapped her forehead. "Gosh darn, that there gossip man was a'talkin' bout you! I should've known, it jes didn't click."

There was a slight wince at the punch as she did catch one of the few bruises that Dave had been able to cause. But he didn't complain. He deserved it. And since there was no way he was going to win an argument against a Daniels woman about how his assistance had been needed to protect a Daniels woman, he jumped at the opportunity to sway the conversation back to the answers he was seeking. "Then you know about RhyDin. Jackie accidentally stumbled upon it a couple months ago. I followed after her and we took Austin there to give her a change of pace a couple weeks ago. Last week after I had dinner with my mom and dad, DeeDee snuck into the back of the truck so now she's there too."

One hand rose and rubbed the back of her neck, a soft chuckle escaping her. "I wonder if'n it jes be in our blood to find such things. I've been headin' ov'r to Rhy'din a good bit over four years now." She looked a little bashful about that. They were a close family but darn it all some things just weren't supper conversation! "So you, Jackie, Austin and DeeDee? It's a right Southern invasion."

In our blood to find such things. Her words left him a little ashamed as well. His hazel eyes dipped to the dirt road stretching between them and then crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned his back against the bed of his pickup. Summer wasn't the only one keeping secrets. Eventually, his secrets were going to find their way to the light as well. Finally, his eyes lifted back to her and a flash of a smile appeared. "Well, a Daniels invasion at least. That's for sure."

With a bright laugh, Summer gave a sage nod. "They dun better watch out, Colton, we be tricky folk."


((With thanks to the player behind Summer Daniels.))