Page 113 of Surly Sheriff
“You’re choosingheraboveme?”
Beau looked at his incredulous sister, a woman whose life was a bed of roses compared to what Raegan had endured.
Yes, their mother leaving had left a nasty wound, but their father had loved them, and they pulled through as a family.
Rae, on the other hand, hadwitnessedher mother’smurder.
Hadkilled her grandfatherto escape his abuse.
“It’s not about choosing, Bella,” he said, infusing a modicum of patience he was not feeling. “But Iamworking out things with Raegan and do not need your interference.”
“Gah!” She spun about and stormed from his office.
Beau cursed, noticing his staff pretend they had not witnessed the argument between their sheriff and his vocal sister. And itwas only going to get worse when Rae’s move back to their house became public.
He sat back down with a sigh. The gossip was beyond his control but protecting Rae and his son well within his purview.
It was time to call in reinforcements.
He palmed his cellphone and found JP’s number. “I need your help. And Beth’s, if she’s available.” Like JP, his wife was a former Marine.
JP didn’t hesitate. Or ask questions. “We’ll be in Clearbrook before nightfall,” he added.
“Thanks, JP.”
Next, he contacted another former Marine. Ronan “Law” Murphy had recently moved to Clearbrook following his wife’s death. They had never served together, but Beau had spent some time with him since his arrival. As with JP, the man agreed without hesitation or question.
He paused before calling Nate, but his brother-in-law needed to be aware of the potential danger because it could extend to him, Bella, and the twins. He huffed and tapped on the cellphone screen.
“Hope you know what you’re doing,” Nate answered without a greeting.
And there was the censure he wanted to avoid. “Already had enough of Bella’s carping. But there is stuff you need to know. Tonight, eight, main house.” He disconnected without waiting for a reply.
His last call was to Oliver. “You still got contacts in the FBI?”
“Yes.”
“Need your help.”
“This about Raegan?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be there. Bet her story’s powerful,” Oliver added.
“Very.”
Beau disconnected and tossed aside the cellphone. He didn’t deserve Oliver’s friendship. Not after the way he’d treated Sunny. The woman’s story was as compelling as Rae’s.
Rae.
Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He was dog tired, not having slept much for the second night in a row.
Now that he knew the full extent of Rae’s horrific and tragic history, it brought a whole new slant to her behavior. And the longer he pondered the details, the more he realized that Rae had done exactly whathewould’ve — by leaving, she had removed potential danger from the people she loved.
But.
Shewasn’thim.
