Page 15 of Don't Look Back

“Don’t forget what I said.” He narrows his eyes on me.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. And I’ve stayed away up until now, but… things changed.” I flip him off.

“Holy shit. I never thought I’d see the day.” He chuckles at me.

“Shut up. I don’t need the peanut gallery getting involved.” I wave a hand in his face without looking at him. Hopefully I’ll hit him in the face.

Leslie stops talking to Sky and turns towards us. After she says goodbye to Tucker, she turns towards me. Before she can open her mouth to tell me goodbye, I place my hand on her lower back.

“I’ll walk you out. I'm leaving too.”

“Don’t you want your shirt?” Sky asks.

“Not now, Sky Sky. I’ll get it tomorrow.” I roll my eyes. Why does everyone need to be so obsessed with my shirt? I couldn’t care less and neither should they.

“Ok,” Leslie says softly, letting me lead her towards the door.

She grabs her purse off the table and waves at Tucker’s family as we exit the house. As soon as the door is shut behind us, I spin her around to face me.

“What are you doing now?”

“Um… Going home? Going to sleep?” She rubs her hands up and down her arms. It’s definitely getting chilly tonight. Winter’s moving in and fast. I'm worried this blizzard is going to hit us hard.

“That sounds boring.” The corner of my mouth lifts into a lopsided grin.

“Oh, really?” She chuckles. “And what exciting plans do you have, Mr. Sheriff?”

“I love it when you call me sheriff,” I murmur, taking a step closer to her.

“W-what?” Leslie stutters as her chest heaves with a breath. She’s definitely affected by me, I don’t care what show she wants to put on. Now that I’ve caught a glimpse behind that mask, it’s easier for me to see through it.

“I said, I love when you call me sheriff. You’re one of the few people in town who don’t act like me being the sheriff is a joke.” I reach up and tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. My fingers drag down her neck, making her shiver.

“You’re a good sheriff. I know you care about this town and you go above and beyond to protect it.” She swallows hard, her eyes searching mine.

“What do you mean? How would you know that?”

“Well, for starters, whenever I’ve seen you at Maverick’s bar, you don’t have more than one drink. I think you’re always on guard, always ready to step into the sheriff role, even if you’re not on duty.”

“That’s correct. If someone needs me, I want to make sure I'm in full control of myself.” I nod my head, surprised she’s noticed.

“You always stop to help anyone in the town, even the people like Mrs. Goods who refuses to accept you’re not the same person you once were.”

“God says you’re supposed to love everyone. It doesn’t matter how they’ve treated you.” I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “I was raised to kill everyone with kindness.”

“You care about this town more than anyone else I know. It’s actually really adorable,” she says softly.

My lopsided grin turns into a full-blown smirk. I wrap my arms around Leslie and engulf her in my embrace. I'm shocked when she hugs me back. Normally she stands there stiffly and it’s awkward. But tonight, she’s full of surprises.

“Do you want to watch a movie together or something? I'm not ready to go to sleep,” I murmur.

“Only if you don’t mind coming to my house. I guarantee I’ll be asleep before the movie is over, and if I'm not, I won't want to drive home.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll follow you home.” I press a soft kiss to her forehead before letting her go.

Chapter 10

Leslie

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