What Happens Over the Summer

"You left an assignment yesterday."
Shit. I had hoped to avoid Cheif this morning, but apparently that wasn't going to happen. He was sitting behind the desk at the main guard station, apparently laying in wait for me.
"We were a man short. Chas was in the area so I thought it was more efficent-"
"Bullshit."
"But it is more efficent."
"Maybe but that's not the reason you left Chas in charge."
I didn't have a comback to that.
"So why did you leave babysitting duty for someone else? I know it's a boring job, but you normally don't just give off the boring jobs. Delegation is a sign of a good leader but it's just out of character."
"I'm just practicing my delegation skills," I changed tactics, latching on to the idea.
"You should practice your lying skills. Now why did you leave that job?"
"How did the questioning go?"
"The guy's story checked out. I think there was more to it than him just getting lost but the kid seemed happy enough to see his Dad so I don't think there was anything to worry about. Now changing the subject back, I asked you a question. You might-as-well tell me because I'll get it out of you somehow."
Cheif was like my second grandfather and knew me just as well as my biological grandfather did, maybe even better. I sighed. "I know the guy," I said grudgingly. "I didn't want to spend any more time than I had to around him."
Cheif's eyes twinkled slightly-he was enjoying this. "Know him?"
"We have a history."
"Histoy? How have I never heard about it?"
"Because he's not local. It was a long time ago, can we just drop it now and never tell anyone we had this conversation?"
Cheif was looking beyond me and smiling now. I glanced over my shoulder and my cheeks heated up. R.J. and Max were standing in the doorway. Figures.
"Great talk. Now if you'll excuse me-"
"I wasn't done Jo." Now he was just trying to torture me. "I'm assumming your grandfather told you about your new position last night."
"Yes."
"Training in two weeks. I'm sorry to inform you that you're going to have to start dressing like an actual guard."
I groaned. "Don't do that to me Cheif. That'll be the first thing to go when I take over."
"It would be a crime to cover up those legs," R.J. said.
I just kept from snarling at him. As it was my eyes shot daggers over my shoulder.
"What are you taking over Cheif's job?" R.J. asked.
And how the hell was he on a first-name basis with Cheif?
"I'm retiring at the end of the season. Jo's taking over for me."
"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded.
"You didn't tell me that you were Daddy's friend," Max pipped up. "Daddy said we were coming here to see an old friend who's name was Jo."
I looked up at R.J. How the hell was I suppose to respond to that? Scream "you're bastard father is no friend of mine"? No matter how much I would like to do that...