Page 7 of Evergreen Desires
"Take it easy, don't try to stand just yet," I said, keeping close to him. I wanted to ensure he didn't push himself too hard. Bob and the police officer continued their conversation.The officer must have been the new police chief that Will had mentioned, the one with the “vibes.”
Bob explained that Jake had been shoplifting so he pressed the silent alarm behind the counter. He mentioned that Jake had passed out after panicking and shouting about being sorry. My protective instincts surged within me, intensifying my internal growl. The chief's gaze shifted to me, and I could sense his curiosity. Weird, did the police chief hear me? Most can’t.Wait, Jake can’t get arrested…
"Bob, I don't think he was trying to steal from you. He left his wallet in the car. He was just coming back to get it. I explained.I didn’t want to lie to Bob or the police chief, but my urge to protect Jake was too strong. I had to get him out of this mess. I turned my attention to Jake, wanting to reassure him and (hopefully) let him in on my plan. I didn’t want him to say something to contradict me as he came to. "I'm sorry, Jake. I should have brought it to you."
Jake seemed dazed, but his presence calmed me as he looked at me.I turned back to Bob, "I'm sorry, Bob. I've got this. Just ring up what he wants." I could sense Bob's skepticism as he glanced between us, before apologizing to the chief for calling him out unnecessarily.
Bob seemed satisfied, offering his apologies for the false alarm and assuring us that the beef stick and Snickers bar were not an issue. Then, he turned to me with a grin. "About time you found someone to make you happy. I figured you'd end up a bachelor for life in this town."
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your kind words." My cheeks reddened. Maybe my lie had gone a bit too far—Bob thought we were together! I didn’t know how I was going to talk my way out of this one. I supposed I’d never actuallysaidwe were together. They’d just assumed it and I didn’t correct them. Hopefully, Jake appreciated how far I’d gone to keep him out of trouble and didn’t think I was a creep! I pulled Jake close and gave him another gentle hug from behind. It felt natural to protect him. "Come on, let's get you home." Noticing the police chief's continued observation, I suggested, "Sir, perhaps we can talk a little more outside?"
"Of course," he agreed, and I detected a sharp uptick in Jake's fear scent. As we stood, I placed a reassuring hand on Jake's shoulder and guided him towards the door. I felt an overwhelming desire to keep him safe, even though I couldn't explain why. My focus narrowed to that singular purpose as we exited the store together.
CHAPTER 7
JAKE
Whoa. Beau came to my rescue. He was right there calling my name and looking at me when I opened my eyes. And the hugs had me wanting to shout out in joy, but really, I was speechless. Wait, why? Why would he help me and defend me? He pretended we were in a relationship. I am running from one manipulative relationship, no plans on jumping into another one. But now the policeman wants to talk with us. I have to keep our story straight.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need any medical attention?” Chief Mateo asked as soon as the three of us cleared the doorway of the store.
"No, I’ll be fine, just low blood sugar combined with sudden stress," I said, trying my best to sound stable and together. "I haven't eaten anything since that breakfast this morning." I found myself leaning a little more into Beau. I told myself it was to keep up the ruse, but honestly? It gave me a feeling of... safety.
Chief Mateo gave a small smile. "Are you sure you’re okay?" he asked, giving Beau a once-over.
"Yes, sir, I’m fine, I promise," I replied, feeling confident and trying to project it. I leaned more into Beau, sliding my arm around his back and resting my hand on the small of his back. Beau's muscles tensed slightly as I did it. Oh, I hoped I didn't push too hard. I shifted my attention back to Chief Mateo. "Thank you for checking with me." The chief still had a doubtful look in his eyes Clearly, I wasn’t a criminal mastermind and, I didn’t react well under pressure. I found myself tensing.
"I'm Beau, by the way," Beau said, reaching out his hand to shake Chief Mateo's. "I live up the road over there," He pointed off in the distance. "I own the Boon Christmas Tree farm up there. You must be the new police chief. My foreman, Will, says he met you recently and speaks highly of you." Beau sounded genuine. There was nothing there that would suggest he was covering up anything.
"Good to meet you. I'm Mateo, as you probably heard. I started only about a week or so ago. I've met a lot of people, and many of their names and faces are blending together. However, I do remember Will. He seems like a real good guy."
"Yes, sir. He and I have been friends since grade school. He's the brother I never really had," Beau said, his charm shining through.
"Good to know. You said the Boon Christmas Tree farm, right?" Mateo asked, and Beau nodded. "You have another operation there also, don't you?" he continued, giving me a little side-eye that made me squirm.
"Yes, sir. I typically don't lead conversations about operating a cannabis farm. Besides, my city license has a restriction about advertising that to the general public. You know how it is; they want tax revenue but don't really want anything that might tarnish our wholesome town reputation. But I assumed you were aware, given you being the police chief and all.”
HE RUNS A POT FARM! I thought to myself, trying to keep a zero-emotion face.Declan used to smoke pot but just made him more of a dick. I wasn’t good with surprises or secrets. My ex kept secrets; I wasn’t diving into that again. Wait, slow down... I'd known Beau for about four minutes. Stay composed.
"I did learn about that on my first day. No judgment here. You'll find that I only care about following the laws; I don't get involved in politics. I'm glad to put a name to the face." Chief Mateo looked over at me. "Can I talk to you for just a moment?"
Did I just hear a growl? Well, maybe a low rumble. I kind of felt it through my hand on Beau's back rather than heard it. Maybe Beau is hungry and it was his stomach.Oddly, it sent a comforting feeling through me. But looking at Chief Mateo, perhaps he heard something too... His eyes quickly shot to Beau's face. "Um, sure." I took a step forward out of Beau's embrace. I felt warmth leave me as I walked a dozen or so steps toward Mateo’s cruiser. He turned back towards me with a look of compassion in his eyes.
"I don't want to pry. You mentioned this morning that your ex wiped out your account. Do you feel safe at the moment?"
For a second, I felt so panicked I was afraid I’d pass out again. He caught us in our lie! But I took a breath to give myself a split second to self-assess. He didn’t know how recently I’d broken up with my ex. For all he knew, it was an ex from a year ago that was still giving my life hell. And it wouldn’t be a lie. Beau wasn’t my ex, and besides, I felt safe with him, no idea why, but I really did. "Yes, I am perfectly safe with Beau. He’s not my ex. He isn’t the one who wiped out my account." I really did feel this way, safe... strange.
"Okay. I'm going to give you my card. If you ever need anything, please call me. I mentioned that I've been in a few ex-related situations in the past." Chief Mateo pulled one of his cards out of his uniform shirt pocket and wrote what I guessed was his mobile number on the back.
He was clearly interested in my safety, but I figured that was his job. But I did have a feeling that Beau was either staring into the back of my head or staring down the police chief like he thought something was up.
"Thank you for this morning and now this. I promise not to be more trouble." I reached out and shook his hand, then turned to walk back towards Beau.
By the time I crossed back to Beau, I heard the car door shut on the police cruiser and it began to pull out slowly. I forced myself not to look back but kept my eyes on Beau as I approached. Those same soft but piercing greeneyes watching each step as I returned. I couldn’t help but wonder, what was I returning to?
CHAPTER 8
BEAU
