Page 39 of Midnight & Mavericks

Before she could talk herself out of it, she picked up her phone and scrolled to her grandfather’s number. The line rang twice before his familiar, gravelly voice answered. “Abbie, darlin’! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She smiled at the warmth in his voice, the way he always made her feel like she was the most important person in the world. “Hi, Grandpa. I was just... thinking about home.”

“Well, you’re always welcome here, you know that,” he said, his tone bright and welcoming. “The ranch isn’t the same without you.”

Her throat tightened, and she had to swallow hard before she could speak again. “Would you mind if I came back for a while? That is if you don’t mind having a house guest again.”

“Well, you never have to ask that, Abbie. This is your home. The door is always open and you stay as often and as long as you like. Is everything all right?”

Her eyes filled with tears, and she pressed her lips together to keep her voice steady. “Thanks, Grandpa. I don’t know what I’m going to do exactly, but I know I want to be there.”

“We’ll figure it out together, sweetheart,” he said firmly. “And don’t you worry about a thing. Just come home, darlin’. That’s all that matters.”

She hung up and for the first time in a long time, she felt like maybe she was heading in the right direction. The thought of leaving behind the city, the law firm, and all the trappings of her carefully constructed life didn’t feel like giving up. It felt like gearing up for the purpose she was put on this earth to do. She was going home.

The rest of it? She’d figure out the rest along the way. Including what to do about a certain stubborn, infuriating detective who had managed to work his way into her heart, whether she wanted him there or not.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Elliott walked through the bustling precinct, the sounds of ringing phones, hurried voices, and clacking keyboards filling the air. The city had its rhythm, a fast-paced chaos that had once been second nature to him. But now, after weeks in Jessup Peak, the noise felt sharper, more abrasive like it was trying to drown out something inside him he couldn’t quite name.

“Elliott!” Bucky’s booming voice cut through the din, pulling Beau’s attention to the tall, grizzled man standing by the bullpen. Commander Flynn "Bucky" Buckingham had a knack for reading people, and the amused look in his sharp eyes told Beau he wasn’t going to escape this conversation unscathed.

“Welcome back to civilization, Detective,” Bucky said, clapping Beau on the shoulder with a hand that felt like it could crush steel. “How’s it feel to be back in the big leagues?”

Beau forced a grin, leaning casually against the desk nearest to him. “Loud,” he said, only half-joking. “I forgot how much noise this place makes.”

Bucky chuckled, his eyes narrowing as he studied Beau. “You sure it’s the noise that’s got you out of sorts? You seem... different.”

“Different?” Beau raised an eyebrow, keeping his tone light. “I’m the same guy I was before I got sent to that podunk town.”

“Uh-huh.” Bucky crossed his arms, clearly not buying it. “You sure you didn’t leave a piece of yourself back there? Or maybe…someone?”

Beau’s jaw tightened, but he shrugged it off, grabbing a file off the desk to busy his hands. “Nope. Just the same guy trying to readjust to the city. It’s nothin’.”

Bucky didn’t push, but the way his eyes lingered told Beau the man wasn’t convinced. “Well, don’t let the noise get to you, kid. You’re too good a cop to let distractions pull you under. Speaking of which, the squad wants to take you out tonight. Drinks, maybe hit that new steakhouse downtown. You in?”

Beau hesitated, the idea of a loud bar and forced camaraderie feeling about as appealing as a root canal. “I appreciate it, but I’ve got an early morning. Rain check?”

Bucky tilted his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You? Turning down a chance to celebrate? Now I know something’s up.”

“Nothing’s up,” Beau said, his voice firm but not harsh. “Just tired. Another time.”

Bucky let it go with a nod, but the look in his eyes said he wasn’t letting it go for good. “All right, Elliott. But don’t make a habit of hiding out. You’re back in the real world now.”

The words stuck with Beau as he walked out of the precinct, the cacophony of the city greeting him like an old, unwelcome friend. He slipped into his car, the sounds muffling slightly as he shut the door, and for a moment, he just sat there, staring at the steering wheel. The real world. Was this the real world? Or had he left it behind in Jessup Peak?

His apartment greeted him with its usual emptiness. Clean, sparse, and impersonal, it was more of a place to sleep than a home. Beau tossed his keys onto the counter and opened thefreezer, pulling out a TV dinner without even looking at what it was. He popped it into the microwave, the mechanical hum filling the silence.

Minutes later, he sat on the couch, the tray balanced on his lap as he flipped on the TV. The screen lit up with a sitcom he didn’t care about, the canned laughter grating against his already frayed nerves. He took a bite of the lukewarm food, barely tasting it as his mind wandered.

Jessup Peak. Abbie.

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the couch. He could see her so clearly—her sharp eyes, her fiery temper, the way she could make him laugh even when she was driving him crazy. She had this way of getting under his skin, of challenging him, of making him feel alive in a way he hadn’t felt in years.

And now, she was gone.

Beau let out a long breath, his chest tight with the pain of missing her already. He’d let her go, because what else could he do? He wasn’t the guy to hold someone like Abbie back.

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