Chapter Two

Monday morning, Beau entered the office, removed his Stetson and hung it on the coatrack next to his coat. The office was bustling with activity, the soft hum of computers and chatter filling the room.

Taking a seat at his desk, Beau opened his computer and began scanning through files. He scanned each document carefully, searching for any clues that could lead him to the missing horse. It was a frustrating task, as there were no recent cases of single animal thefts.

Letting out a sigh, Beau rubbed his temples in frustration. He wanted to find the horse for the Lawrence family, and he intended to do just that.

"Hey."

Beau looked up from his computer to see his younger brother Luke taking a seat in the chair opposite his desk.

"Hey, what are you up to?" Beau asked, giving Luke a smile.

"Six-four. You?" Luke replied with a grin.

Beau chuckled. "Six- five ."

Luke laughed in response. "You just love throwing that extra inch in there, don't you?"

"Hell, it's probably not the only place I have an inch more than you," Beau joked, earning another laugh from Luke.

"You wish," Luke retorted playfully.

"Does the truth hurt?" Beau teased back.

Luke stood up, pretending to be offended. "I don't need to take this abuse. I'll be at my desk. Are you heading to Mom and Dad's Sunday for dinner?"

"Yeah. Do you think I want to deal with Mom if I don't? I was just there yesterday, and she was already telling me to be there Sunday."

"I hear ya. I'll talk to you later." With a nod, Luke made his way back to his own desk to start working.

As the day wore on, Beau found himself making little progress on the case. Frustrated and in need of a break, he pushed his office chair back and stood up, stretching his arms and arching his back. The office was slowly emptying out as coworkers left for the day, but Beau was determined to keep working until he found some lead on the missing horse.

A few days later, he was no closer to finding out anything about the missing horse. He pushed his chair back, took his hat and coat from the coatrack, and walked out of the office. As he pulled on his coat and placed his hat on his head, he waited for the elevator. It was lunch time, and he was starving.

As he walked toward the diner, his thoughts went to Brenna, making him smile. He wanted to call her but didn't want to bother her while she was at work. He wasn't sure what time she would have lunch at school.

Removing his phone from his inside coat pocket, he sent her a text message.

Dinner Saturday night at the Hartland? He sent the message, then continued to the diner.

Entering, he saw it was packed, but found an empty stool at the counter and took a seat.

"Hi, Beau. What can I get you?" a very pregnant Rissa Maddox asked.

"Hey, Rissa. My usual is fine. How are you?"

"I'm pregnant," she said with a grin.

"Seriously? I never would have guessed." He grinned when she laughed as she poured him a cup of coffee.

"I'll be right back in a little bit with your order."

"Yes, ma'am."

His phone vibrated, and he removed it to see a message from Brenna and opened it.

I'd love to.

Beau grinned, then sent a text back.

I'll see if I can get us in, if not, I'll call Grant. Six thirty?

Yes.

I'll let you know if it's a problem. If not, I'll pick you up at six.

Okay. See you then.

After calling the restaurant, he sighed as he called Grant Hunter, the owner of the restaurant and a good friend.

"Beau? What's up?" Grant asked when he answered.

"I need a reservation for Saturday night at six-thirty for two." Beau grinned when silence met him.

"You know, I keep saying I never hear from my friends unless they want to get into the restaurant."

"Why the hell else would we call you?" Beau chuckled when Grant laughed.

"Hell, if I know. Let me call you back."

Beau set his phone on the counter and glanced at the door when the bell above it jiggled. He grinned when he saw Killian Doyle enter.

"Hey, Killian."

"Beau, how's it going?"

"Good. Are you settled in yet?"

"I'm working on it. I still have another truckload to get here. I hate moving."

"Yeah, I do too. Did you get an apartment?"

"Yep, down the street, but once I'm settled, I'll look into buying a home."

"Good idea. Get with Lydia Griffen when you're ready. She's a damn good realtor."

"I'll do that." Killian nodded. "My dogs think I've abandoned them."

Beau chuckled, then his phone buzzed, and he picked it up to see Grant's number, so he answered.

"Grant?"

"You're in. You owe me, McCallister."

Beau chuckled. "Just add it to my list."

"Hell, there's no more room on that list. Have a good time." Grant hung up.

Beau set his phone back down and noticed Rissa walking toward him with his lunch. She set it on the counter, then waited on Killian, and walked into the kitchen.

"She's pretty and very pregnant," Killian said with a grin.

"She's Reece's wife," Beau informed him.

"Lucky Reece."

Beau picked up his hamburger, took a bite, and groaned making Killian laugh.

"I've had some good burgers in my time, but none of them would beat these," Killian said.

"No one knows what Connie or Owen do to them to make them so good, but we're not complaining about it."

"I wouldn't think so."

He saw Rissa come from the kitchen and placed Killian's meal in front of him.

"Rissa, this is Killian Doyle. He's a livestock agent, too. Killian, Rissa Maddox."

"Ma'am," Killian said as he stood and shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Agent Doyle." Rissa smiled.

"The pleasure is mine." Killian cocked his head. "Should you be working? You look like you're due anytime."

Rissa laughed. "I was due two days ago. I got bored waiting for this baby to make an entrance." She shrugged.

"How did Reece take you working?" Beau asked after he took another bite from his burger.

"He wasn't happy, but you men have no idea how it's a pain just waiting."

Beau and Killian laughed.

"No, we don't." Beau grinned.

After lunch, Beau paid for his meal, nodded at Killian, then strode out the door to walk back to the office. Light snow was falling but as far as he knew, no accumulation was expected, but being Clifton, that could quickly change. It was early October, after all.

****

Brenna let out a heavy sigh as she gazed through the window, watching thick snowflakes dance and swirl in the chilly air. Just then, a sharp knock sounded at her door, causing her to jump. Glancing at the clock, she saw that Beau was right on time.

She smoothed down her dress, took a deep breath, and made her way to the door. She smiled as she waved him inside. The brim of his hat and the shoulders of his coat were covered in snow, and he held a pink rose in his hand which he handed to her.

"Thank you," Brenna said gratefully, taking the flower from him. "Come inside. Do you think we should risk going out?"

"The roads are clear," Beau assured her with a grin. "I don't think the snow will stick after today's warm temperatures." He removed his hat and brushed off the snow before entering her apartment. Looking around, he remarked, "This is a nice place. No one would ever suspect there's an apartment up here."

"My dad converted it after Eric and I divorced," Brenna explained with a shake of her head. "I lived with my parents for a while." She chuckled ruefully. "As I said before, I love them, but living with them again just wasn't an option."

Beau laughed along with her. "I get it. I don't think I could live with my parents either." He paused to take in Brenna's appearance, and she saw the admiration in his eyes in how her blue dress fit her like a glove and her stilettos accentuated her legs. "You look beautiful."

Heat crept into Brenna's cheeks as Beau's gaze roamed over her from head to toe. "Thank you," she murmured. "Let me put this rose in the fridge and then we can go."

"Of course," Beau replied, standing by the door and waiting for her.

Brenna placed the rose in the refrigerator before making her way to the coatrack. As she reached for her coat, she was surprised when Beau took it from her and held it for her to slip into. She looked at him in surprise.

"What?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"I'm not used to a man holding my coat for me," Brenna admitted with a small laugh.

Beau's eyebrows shot up. "Didn't Eric, do it?"

Brenna let out a snort of laughter. "No." She shook her head.

"Well, my mother would tan my hide and my brother's if we didn't treat a lady properly," Beau replied with a smile.

"You know, for as long as I've known you, I've never met your brother," Brenna mused as they made their way out into the snowy evening.

Beau flashed a grin. "Luke can be a real pain in my ass, but I love him."

"But you guys are close, right?" Brenna asked.

"We are. I'm only two years older than him." Beau took her hand as they walked down the steps to his truck. The snow was starting to taper off, but Brenna knew that could change at any moment in this area. It seemed like it could snow any time of year here if it got cold enough. She couldn't help but giggle.

"What's so funny?" Beau asked.

"I was just thinking how it wouldn't be surprising if it snowed in Clifton in July." She smiled when Beau chuckled.

"That's the truth," he agreed as he opened the door for her, and she shook her head. "Let me guess, Eric didn't open doors for you either?"

"Nope."

"What a prick," Beau muttered before closing the door and walking around to the driver's side. He opened the door and slid onto the seat.

"He really is. Honestly, I don't miss him at all anymore. Well, maybe a little at first. But you know what they say about love and hate? He pushed me over to the other side."

"Same here," Beau said as he started the truck and drove them to the restaurant.

"Did you have to call Grant?" Brenna asked him.

Beau grinned. "Of course, I did. And he definitely gave me a hard time about it."

Brenna laughed. "He's such a great guy. And Jessa is perfect for him."

"They're madly in love with each other," Beau added.

"And rightfully so," Brenna said with a smile as she watched the snow flying through the headlights.

Luckily, the roads were clear, and Beau easily found a parking spot near the restaurant.

"It doesn't seem too crowded," Brenna commented.

"Probably because of the weather. When I called earlier, they couldn't even give me a reservation."

"That actually works out well for us then," Brenna replied with a smile.

Beau parked and got out of his side before walking around to open Brenna's door for her. She couldn't help but admire his manners; something Eric never had.

"What are you thinking about?" Beau asked her curiously.

"I was just thinking about how gentlemanly you are compared to Eric..."

Beau shook his head and took her hand in his as they made their way inside.

As they approached the hostess at the podium, she greeted them with a smile. "Welcome to the Hartland restaurant. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, ma'am. For McCallister," Beau replied politely.

The hostess quickly scanned her computer before grabbing two menus and gesturing for them to follow her.

"Were there cancellations?" Brenna asked curiously.

"Yes, unfortunately. We were fully booked but with the bad weather, some people decided not to come," the hostess explained as she led them to a booth.

Beau let Brenna slide into the booth first before taking his seat across from her. She couldn't help but feel a little excited at having someone treat her with such manners.

After placing their orders, they both took sips of their drinks and looked around the restaurant. Even with the cancellations, it was still full. Brenna's eyes widened when she spotted Eric and Liz sitting at a table across the room.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath.

"What's wrong?" Beau asked concernedly.

"Liz and Eric are here," Brenna whispered.

Beau's jaw tightened as he glanced over at them. "I don't care about either of them anymore, but it still pisses me off. Makes me wonder how I didn't see it coming."

Brenna nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. All those times we spent together makes me wonder how long they had been sneaking around behind our backs. The only satisfaction I have is knowing that he'll never be faithful to her."

Beau chuckled. "Yeah, you know what they say, if he cheats with you, he'll cheat on you."

Brenna raised her wine glass in agreement. "Here's to that."

Beau let out a heavy sigh. "They deserve each other," he muttered under his breath.

Brenna glanced across the room and saw Liz looking their way and raised an eyebrow at her and watched as Liz quickly turned away to speak with Eric. Even from this distance, Brenna could see the color drain from Eric's face as he laid eyes on Beau, and she couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"What's so funny?" Beau asked, cutting into his steak.

"Liz just told Eric we were here and when he saw you, he went ghostly pale."

Beau let out a chuckle. "Good. You have no idea how badly I wanted to punch him when I caught him in our bathroom."

"One punch from you and he'd be out for a week." Brenna laughed, but then grew serious. "Tell me what happened. I'm in the dark."

Beau picked up his napkin and dabbed at his mouth before meeting Brenna's gaze.

"I came home early. She thought I would be out of town for a few more days. When I saw her in a robe, I knew something was off. She tried to play it cool, saying she was going to take a shower and that the bed wasn't made because she took a nap." He shook his head in disbelief. "She never took naps. So, I asked her where Eric was, since his truck was parked outside. She kept insisting she didn't know. What a load of bull. How could she not know his truck was there? Anyway, when I headed toward the bathroom door, she tried to stop me, but I pushed her aside and opened the door; and there he was." Anger flashed in Beau's eyes at the memory. "I wanted to punch him right then and there. I had to clench my fists to keep from doing it. I told her to get out. It's my house. I bought it before we were married, and the deed was in my name only. She tried to claim half of everything, but my lawyer made sure that didn't happen, thanks to her infidelity."

"I hate what they did to us, but I don't want to dwell on them. They don't deserve anything from me. Not even a thought."

"I agree. Let's just enjoy our meal, then get out of here."

"Sounds good."

****

After finishing dinner, Beau signaled for the check. Once it arrived and was taken care of, they slid out of the booth. Beau helped Brenna with her coat and took her hand in his, leading her toward the glass doors to exit. He paused and glanced back at Liz and Eric, feeling a surge of pride at their shocked expressions. Liz's mouth hung open in disbelief at seeing him holding hands with Brenna, while Eric looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole. With a sly smirk, Beau led Brenna out of the restaurant and toward his truck.

He helped her into the passenger seat before striding around to climb in behind the wheel. His eyes met hers in the dim light of the truck's interior.

"Want to head home or make a pit stop at Dewey's? The snow has finally stopped," he asked.

"I haven't been to Dewey's in ages. Let's go," Brenna replied with a grin.

"Alright." Beau started the truck and drove toward the bar.

As they pulled into the crowded parking lot, he found a spot and got out, quickly making his way to the other side of the truck. But she was already stepping out, determination in her stride.

"I could have gotten the door for you," he said with a frown, gesturing to the now open door.

"I'm fine. I'm excited to go in. It's been years," Brenna teased, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Damn, Eric was an ass," Beau muttered under his breath as he took her hand and led her toward the entrance of the bar. He held open the heavy wooden door for her, allowing her to enter first before following closely behind.

The warm air hit them as soon as they stepped inside, accompanied by boisterous chatter, laughter, and music. They stood still for a moment, taking in their surroundings.

"It looks like snow doesn't keep Dewey's customers away." Brenna shook her head with a smile.

"Let's try to get to the bar and find some stools. Getting a table may be out of the question," Beau suggested, pulling her along as they weaved through the crowd.

They reached the bar and managed to snag two empty stools. Beau caught Scarlett Conway's eye, the owner of Dewey's, and waved at her. She smiled back and made her way over to them.

"Hey, Beau. What can I get you?" she asked with a friendly smile.

Beau turned to Brenna, who was looking around the bar with wonder in her eyes.

"Brenna? What would you like?" he asked, his gaze lingering on her beautiful face.

She met his gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Just a soda for me, please," Brenna replied with a small smile.

"Yes, ma'am," Scarlett said before turning to Beau. "And you?"

"Beer, please. Whatever's on tap," Beau answered with a grin.

"Alright. I'll be right back with those." Scarlett walked away to fulfill their orders.

As they were waiting for their drinks, Beau saw his younger brother Luke heading their way and stood up to greet him.

"Hey, little brother," he said with a grin as Luke reached them.

"Beau, I'm surprised to see you here," Luke replied with a smirk before his eyes widened as he caught sight of Brenna.

"Brenna, this is my brother Luke. Luke, this is Brenna Lawrence," Beau introduced them.

"Hi, Luke. It's nice to meet you," Brenna said politely, extending her hand for him to shake.

"The pleasure is definitely all mine," Luke replied with a smile as he took her hand in his. But he held onto it for a little longer than necessary, making Beau frown in disapproval. His brother had always been a ladies' man and it was clear he liked what he saw in Brenna.

Without missing a beat, Beau stepped forward and removed Luke's hand from hers, giving him a stern look.

"Put your damn eyes back in your head and back the fuck off," Beau growled playfully but with a hint of protectiveness, causing Brenna and Luke to burst into laughter.

"Point taken. You two have a good evening. I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow, Beau." He looked at Brenna and touched the brim of his hat. "Ma'am."

Beau knew he would have to face a ton of questions from his brother tomorrow, but for now, he allowed himself to relax in Brenna's company.

"You know, your brother is quite handsome as well," Brenna said, breaking the silence.

"Is that so?" Beau raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yes, you both are very attractive men," she replied with a smirk.

Beau shrugged nonchalantly. "I highly doubt my brother will ever settle down. He has a love for women that I don't think will ever die out."

"You never know," Brenna said optimistically. "He seems like a nice person though. Do you two spend Sundays together?"

"We have dinner with our parents every Sunday," Beau replied.

"That's good. I have dinner with my family once a week too."

Beau nodded thoughtfully. "I never want to look back on my life and regret not spending enough time with my family."

"I feel the same way. My mother is my best friend and I'm definitely daddy's little girl."

"I can imagine. Your father seems like a good man. I just wish I could find that horse," Beau said with a shake of his head.

"He knows you're trying your best, Beau. Don't be too hard on yourself." Brenna placed a comforting hand on his arm.

As the band started playing, Starting Over a song by Jennifer Nettles, Brenna exclaimed, "Oh, I love this song!"

"Then let's dance, sweetheart." Beau stood up and offered his hand to her. She accepted it with a smile, and they walked to the dance floor, seeming to fit perfectly in each other's arms.

When the song ended, Beau led Brenna back to their stools, only to find them occupied.

"Well, damn," he muttered under his breath.

"We can leave if you want. It's pretty crowded here anyway," Brenna suggested.

"Sure, let's go," Beau agreed, taking her hand and guiding her through the throng of people toward the exit.

As they approached his truck, Beau froze in his tracks at the sight of Liz and Eric walking toward them. Ignoring them, he opened the door for Brenna and helped her inside before getting into the driver's seat himself.

"I'm glad we decided to leave," he murmured.

"Me too." Brenna smiled at him.

Beau couldn't help but shake his head as he started the engine. "I haven't seen either of them in two years, and now I've run into them twice in one night."

"Well, I'm happy they saw us together. Let them wonder what's going on. I know how Liz is, and I can tell she's wondering about us," Brenna said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "And I know she's jealous. She may be with Eric now but seeing us together definitely irked her."

Beau grinned in satisfaction. "Good. Karma, baby. Karma."

"The look on Eric's face at the restaurant," Brenna burst out laughing. "I can just imagine how he looked when you caught him in your bathroom." She laughed even harder.

Beau chuckled along with her. "He looked like he'd seen a ghost." He shook his head in amusement. "You know, I don't care anymore. They ruined two marriages, but I still wouldn't mind punching him just for the hell of it."

"I understand completely. It's not just the cheating that bothers me, it's the fact that both of us were blind to it." Brenna sighed, her expression turning serious for a moment before she smiled again. "I hope it's driving them crazy."

"You and me both." Beau looked at her and when their eyes met, they laughed again.

Beau was glad he asked her out. He enjoyed her company, and he hoped he could see her again.