Page 31 of A Letter to Adaya
“Does Aunt Cleo know?” Beau laughed.
“Yes, she lets Cinders sit in her yarn basket.”
The brothers exchanged a look before Nate pointed at her. “I take everything back I said upstairs, Beau. There must be something divine about all this.”
A cough broke up the teasing, and all eyes turned back to Ranger. “We need to get over to the sheriff’s office.”
Beau extended his large, calloused hand to Adaya. “Come on then, kitten. Let’s go get the worst part over with, then we can talk.”
She didn’t hesitate, slowly wrapped her small fingers around his. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and nodded towards the door. With a final glance back at the other women, who were both smiling encouragingly at her, she allowed him to lead her across the street to the sheriff’s office.
As they walked, Adaya couldn’t help but notice the way Beau’s muscles rippled under his shirt. She had always admired his physical strength, but now she found herself captivated by his gentle touch. She wondered if he could feel the same electric current she did whenever their hands brushed together.
When they arrived at the sheriff’s office, Adaya felt a sudden surge of fear. She had had no run-ins with the law before, and the idea of being interrogated made her feel like she was going to be sick. She tightened her grip on Beau’s hand, wishing it would give her some sort of comfort.
The sheriff’s office was a cramped building from the number of men packed inside. As soon as they entered, Beau squeezed her hand.
“Everyone out,” a voice called over the crowd.
Beau pushed Adaya to the side to allow the men to file out of the building. When the crowd cleared, she came face to face with a man sitting at a desk, surrounded by papers and files. He looked up at them, his face creasing into a frown. “Is this the girl?” he asked.
“I’m her,” Adaya responded. “I can speak for myself.”
The sheriff’s frown deepened, but he waved them over to a table at the front of the office. Beau pulled a chair out and motioned for Adaya to sit. He tucked her under the table as the sheriff moved from his desk and sat down opposite them, his arms crossed over his chest. Once Beau was sitting next to her, Adaya reached under the table to grab his hand, taking comfort in his presence.
“Are we waiting for Sam?” Beau finally asked, breaking the silence.
“Yep.” The sheriff leaned back in his chair, pressing his back against the wall.
“Can you tell me what this is about?” Adaya asked. She felt her fingers tighten around Beau’s hand.
“I’d rather wait for Sam.”
“We’ve been waiting long enough, don’t you think?” Beau insisted.
“Beau?” Adaya lifted her chin to look at him. He had shaved, but his hair was hanging in front of his eyes. As if he could hear her thoughts, he ran his thick fingers through it, pushing the strands to the side.
“It’s okay, honey. Sam shouldn’t be too long.”
The door opened, and the marshal came in. “Ranger just told me you arrived.”
“Where were you?” Beau demanded.
Sam raised his hands. “I sent riders to Grand Platte and to Lincoln. I’m not sure where the judge is right now.” He paused when he saw Adaya. “Miss Breckenridge?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Marshal Sam Davis. You’ve met Sheriff Hartman.”
“No, I’ve not. He just directed me to sit. I don’t know his name.”
Adaya caught Beau turning his head away so he could laugh.
The sheriff coughed and lowered his chair to the floor. “I was waiting for you.”
“I know your ma raised you with better manners than that, Whit,” Sam said, taking off his jacket before sitting at the table. “And your wife wouldn’t put up with you being rude.” Looking back at Adaya, he stared at her with an intensity unlike she had ever known before. “Do you know why you are here?”
“I know Jesse was hurt, and Beau came to town. But other than that, no.”
