Page 34 of Midnight & Mavericks

McMasters chuckled, his eyes twinkling with humor. “I’ve been on this job long enough to pick up on a thing or two. And right now, you’re about as subtle as a bull calf in a nut clamp.”

“Ouch.” Beau grimaced at the thought and then inhaled a deep breath and sighed it through tight lips, running a hand through his hair. “It’s nothing. Just got a lot on my mind.”

“Uh-huh,” McMasters said, clearly not buying it. “Does this ‘nothing’ have anything to do with a certain fiery lawyer who’s been turning this place upside down?”

Beau stiffened, his jaw clenching. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t,” McMasters said with a knowing grin. “Look, son, I’m not here to pry. But I’ve seen the way you look ather, and I’ve seen the way she looks at you. So why in the hell are you keeping her at arm’s length?”

“Because she deserves better,” Beau said before he could stop himself. The words hung in the air, raw and unfiltered. “She’s got a whole life waiting for her in the city. She doesn’t need me dragging her down.”

McMasters studied him for a long moment before nodding slowly. “I get it. You think you’re doing her a favor by stepping back. But let me tell you something, Beau—women like Abbie Carter aren’t the kind to let someone else decide what’s best for them.”

Beau frowned, his defenses rising. “I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

“The right thing for who?” McMasters replied. “You or her?”

Beau didn’t answer, his gaze dropping to the floor.

The sheriff sighed, his tone softening. “You remind me of myself, you know. Stubborn as a mule and twice as hard-headed.”

Beau snorted. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“Let me finish,” McMasters said, his voice tinged with sadness. “Years ago, I loved a woman. Smart as a whip, beautiful as a sunrise, and too good for me by a long shot. I thought I was doing her a favor by stepping aside, letting her find someone who could give her the life she deserved. But you know what happened?”

Beau shook his head, curiosity piqued despite himself.

“She left anyway,” McMasters said, his gaze distant. “Not because she didn’t love me, but because I didn’t give her the choice. I assumed I knew what was best for her, and I pushed her away. Spent the rest of my life regretting it.”

The words hit Beau like a punch to the gut. He looked at the older man, seeing the weight of his past etched into his face.

“She ever come back?” Beau asked quietly.

McMasters shook his head. “No. And she shouldn’t have. I made my bed, and I’ve been lying in it ever since. Alone. Never got married. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a woman like Abbie doesn’t need you to decide for her. She’s smart enough to make up her own damn mind if you present her with choices.”

Beau was silent for a long moment, the sheriff’s words sinking in. Finally, he nodded. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll think on it”

“Don’t thank me yet,” McMasters said with a wry smile. “You just need to focus on not screwing this up, Elliott. Life’s too short for regrets.”

Beau nodded, but the sheriff’s words only made the weight in his chest heavier with indecision. The sheriff’s phone rang. He listened and Beau could hear a fair amount of yelling on the other end of the call. Finally, the lawman assured the caller he was on his way. “Be right there.”

“Gotta go. Mr. Parker’s milk cow tore down the fence again between his property and Widow Quinn’s garden. The more Mr. Parker tries to get her out, the more she tears up the garden. I usually call one of the cowboys off Mr. Carter’s ranch to come and rope her back on her side of the fence, but it’ll take him thirty minutes to get there and from the sound of the screaming in the background, someone’s gonna take matters into their own hands if I don’t get there quick.”

“The trials and tribulations of a lawman in a small town,” Beau teased.

“Yeah, maybe so, but it beats getting shot at for a living.”

“You got a point. See you tomorrow.”

McMasters waved goodbye, but just before he was out the door, he stopped and turned. “Think about what I said, Elliott. Ain’t every day a man gets an opportunity like this.”

“And like I said, Sheriff, eventually, I’d get bored. This isn’t my scene. I’m a city cop. Always have been."

McMasters shook his head and sent him a look that shoutedhard-headed idiot. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the weight of the conversation with Sheriff McMasters. He supposed he could give it some more thought, but that would mean he needed to talk to Abbie first.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

Chapter Twenty-Two

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