Page 9 of Midnight & Mavericks

“Are you kidding me?” she snapped, storming toward him.

Beau turned, his grin widening as his eyes met hers. Up close, he was even more infuriatingly good-looking, with a dangerous spark in his dark blue eyes. He seemed completely unfazed by her fury—or the fire he’d just walked out of.

“You must be the cavalry, but I’d say you’re a little late if you’re coming to rescue me,” he said, his voice deep and smooth with just a hint of amusement.

“And you’re an idiot,” Abbie shot back, crossing her arms. “Do you have any idea how reckless that was?”

His grin didn’t waver. “The horses are out, aren’t they?”

“That’s not the point!” she snapped. “You scared the hell out of everyone! My grandfather thought you were dead!Ithought you were dead!”

His smirk softened, replaced by something unreadable. “So, what you’re sayin’ is you were worried about me?”

Abbie felt heat rise to her cheeks. “I was worried about my grandfather. He doesn’t need any more stress right now and someone dying in his barn would be stressful.” Why she felt the need to explain, she had no idea.

His gaze flicked to her grandfather, then back to her. “Fair enough. And you are?”

“Abigail Carter. Most people call me Abbie.”

“Hello, Abbie. I’m Beau. Nice to meet you.”

For a moment, silence hung between them, charged with an undercurrent of tension she couldn’t quite name. He stepped closer, close enough that she caught the faint scent of smoke and something else—something warm and masculine.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” he said, his voice low, “for saving your horses.”

Abbie opened her mouth to retort, but the words stuck in her throat. She hated the way he looked at her like he was already winning some unspoken battle. But damn it, she also hated how her heart raced under his gaze.

“Thank you,” she said finally, her tone clipped. “But next time, try not to give everyone a heart attack.”

Beau’s grin returned, slow and infuriatingly confident. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

As he turned to help the firefighters with the smoldering remains of the barn, Abbie exhaled sharply, trying to steady her frayed nerves. One thing was clear – this man was trouble. Thekind of trouble that burned hotter than any fire. And whether she liked it or not, it looked like he wasn’t going anywhere.

Chapter Six

Beau Elliott wiped the soot from his hands, a grim sense of satisfaction settling in as the last of the smoke curled up from the charred remnants of the barn. The fire was out, the barn was a loss, and his work here, at least for now, was done.

He gave one last glance toward the group of ranch workers huddled near the fence, their faces lined with exhaustion and worry. He could tell they weren’t sure what to make of the situation, but it didn’t matter to him. This was the job—the fire was out, the horses were safe, and that was all that really mattered.

Walking toward his car, Beau felt the familiar weight of a job well done, one of those rare moments where he knew his experience had guided the team through a dangerous situation, no fanfare required. It could have been a hell of a lot worse, but it was in and out—just the way he liked it.

He opened the passenger door of the sheriff’s truck when a sharp voice cut through the air, bringing him to an abrupt halt.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

Beau turned slowly, already feeling the irritation rising in his chest. Of course, it would be her. Of all the people who could’veshown up to interfere, it had to be the one who made his blood boil in ways he wasn’t entirely comfortable with.

Abbie Carter stalked toward him and came to stand with one hand on the pickup door, the other on her hip, eyes flashing with an intensity that made the heat of the fire seem like nothing. He ran his gaze over her, not for the first time, taking in the sweat-drenched face, her ponytail loose and messy from the chaos. Even covered in grime, there was something about her that stood out. Something that got under his skin. That was both very, very good and very, very bad.

“I asked you a question. Where are you going?” It didn’t make him any happier to hear it the second time.

“No, actually you asked me where the hell did IthinkI was going. I know where I’m going. I’m heading back to town,” Beau replied, his voice low, a hint of exasperation threading through the words. “The fire’s out. The barn’s a goner. Nothing more to do here except maybe call your insurance company.”

Abbie’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, her lips tightened into a hard line. “That’s it?” she snapped, disbelief clear in her tone. “You’re just going to leave?”

Beau arched an eyebrow, a little surprised by her bluntness. There was something about the way she confronted him—head-on, without hesitation—that made his pulse quicken, but also set his teeth on edge. He wasn’t used to his decisions being challenged, if you didn’t count the new chief, especially by someone not even in law enforcement. What the hell did she know about being a detective?

“Where else do you think I should be going, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He noticed the slight flinch in her eyes at the word, and a small part of him couldn’t help but enjoy the effect it had on her. There was something incredibly satisfying about ruffling her feathers.

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