Page 55 of Surly Sheriff
“Sure, hon,” she replied. “I’ll mark you off duty.”
He found a parking space a block away from the store and burst through the entrance, scanning for Rae. He couldn’t find her.
“Where’s Rae?” he called out, battling to keep the rising panic from his voice.
Bella — she was back working, but for only a couple of hours a day — rose from her perch behind the counter. “In the back. Beau, did you two have a fight? She’s not herself today.”
Beau ignored his sister, brushed past the counter, and stalked down the short hallway. He found her in the office, calmly —calmly! —sitting behind the desk. His concern morphed into irritation. “I bought you a cellphone for a reason,” he groused out, snapping the door shut behind him.
Rae flew up from the chair, and the object in question flew out of her hand, landing on the floor with athunk. “Dammit Beau,” she cried out, clasping her hands to her chest. “Don’t sneak up on me.”
“I wouldn’t have to ‘sneak up’ on you,” he bit out, “if you just replied to my texts or, better yet,answeredyour phone when I called.” He sucked in a breath and continued in a more sedate tone. “I was worried about you.”
“I know.”
Beau scooped up the cellphone and waved it in the air. “So why didn’t you reply?”
“You never text.”
He set the device on the desk beside the mouse. “Today, I did. You relived an awful experience, and I needed to know you’re okay.”
“You told me you lo-loved me, Beau.” She pointed to the device, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t know what to do with th-that. Nobody has loved me for years and years and ye-years. Shit,” she croaked, swallowing hard, but a sob tore free. And she shoved her face in her hands.
Beau swore, closed the small distance between them, and gathered her into his arms. Her sobs pierced his soul, and he tightened his hold, battling his own emotions.
“I’m sorry,” she sniffed when the tears finally abated. She accepted the tissues he held out and blew her nose.
“Don’t apologize. You relived a horrible memory.” He dropped a light kiss on her forehead. “Why don’t you go and fix your face, and we’ll go for a Wizards’ ice and a walk in the park.”
Rae patted her cheeks. “Do I look bad?”
“Like a raccoon.” He grinned. “A cute raccoon.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Raccoons are a nuisance.”
“You’re not a nuisance.” He stood, lifting her to her feet at the same time. “Go. Make yourself presentable. There’s a Strawberry Delight calling my name.”
They had more than frozen fruit smoothies. Wizards also served delicious wraps, and they both selected Philly cheesesteaks, but Rae chose an iced coffee, not strawberry. She wasn’t big on sweet things, he’d learned. Order in hand, they wandered across the street to the small park and settled beneath a large oak tree.
“Do you always offer upset women Wizards and time in the park?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, taking a generous bite from the wrap. He was starving, not having finished breakfast.
“My first day here—” She stopped mid-sentence, her brow puckering. “Wow. That was only two weeks ago. It feelswaaaylonger.” She placed her plump lips around the straw and sucked, her cheeks hollowing.
Beau pushed aside the erotic thought that popped into his mind.
If he never got a blowjob from Rae, that was just fine with him.
“As I was saying,” she continued, setting aside the drink, “that first day we arrived and found Bella in tears, you took her to Wizards and the park. And now, here we are, ergo my question. Is Wizards and the park your go-to fix for crying women?”
“Only the ones I love.”
“You’ve only known me for thirteen days.”
He raised his brows. “And your point is …?”
“You cannot possiblyknow,” she grumbled.
