Chapter Seven

Beau and Brenna sat close together on the sofa in the living room, enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon. The flickering fire in the hearth cast a cozy light over them. Beau took in her sweet scent, feeling deeply satisfied and tranquil in her arms.

Suddenly, he remembered something important. "I didn't tell you, but I made an arrest in the theft of your dad's horse—"

Brenna sat up. "Really? That's great news. Who was it?"

"Three teenagers," Beau replied with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "It seems to be the new craze now. After Joey Callaway and his buddies were arrested for stealing horses from the Palmer ranch and had to do community service, they all think they can get away with it and not face serious consequences." He shook his head in frustration. "They don't realize that they could end up in juvenile detention or even prison."

"Did you recover the horse?"

Beau sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Not yet. It's one reason I haven't told your dad yet. Two of the boys told me that their ringleader took the horse somewhere, but he won't confess to where. He's currently in juvie."

"I hope he realizes how serious this is," Brenna said, a hint of anger lacing her voice.

Beau nodded grimly. "I hope so too. When I told him that Joey only got to work off his fine because Eli wanted to help him out, the boy didn't seem fazed at all."

He grew more frustrated as he continued, "The worst part is, his father is a lawyer and even he told him he had to take responsibility for his actions, and he was really pissed when I told him since Donnie used his truck, it would be confiscated."

Brenna let out a sigh of exasperation. "What is it with kids these days? Why do they feel the need to follow along and make bad choices?"

"Exactly," Beau agreed. "And who knows how many more thefts will be committed by kids who think they'll just get a slap on the wrist?"

"They believe it gives them power and popularity. As a teacher, I understand how children can be influenced to do things they think will make them popular." She shook her head in disappointment. "They don't realize that this behavior won't change anything and will only earn them a negative label as a rustler or thief. Since the school is all grades, I see it every day."

"I hate the thought that it's going to continue, and it will take the department away from actual rustling. We have to check out every case, but if kids keep doing this, we could miss the real rustlers. Plus, they could get hurt. Any rancher or farmer has the right to defend their land and livestock, and they'll do it in any way they can."

"And the kids have no idea they could be shot or worse." Brenna shook her head.

"I'll talk to the kid again tomorrow, but I wanted him to stay in juvie for the weekend to get a taste of what could come."

"Can you tell me his name?"

"Donnie Simpson."

"Oh, say no more. That boy is trouble with a capital T. His teacher has expressed many times that he's hard to handle. His family is rich, so he feels he's privileged. Who are the other two?"

"Timmy Matthews and Shelby Jones."

"Really? Those two never cause problems. I suppose Donnie suckered them in and they wanted to do whatever he asked." She shook her head.

"Is Simpson a popular kid?"

"He's popular for causing trouble."

"Well, I'll talk with him tomorrow. If he won't tell me where the horse is, I'll make sure he gets a long sentence."

"You can do that?"

"Yes. At his hearing, I'll testify against him. He can't see how much trouble he's in. I think the other two will likely get probation, but Simpson won't."

"It's a shame. I hope he talks. My parents want the horse back."

"I'll do what I can."

"I know." She snuggled against him.

"He actually punched me. I told him if he told me where the horse was, I'd drop the charge of hitting a law enforcement officer. He didn't care."

"That right there shows you he has no respect for anyone with authority."

"Exactly."

Beau wrapped his arms around her and held her while they watched TV. He hated to see today end because he knew she'd have to leave soon. They both had to work tomorrow, and he knew she had to go home to prepare for her workday. But for now, he was content to just hold her.

****

Brenna let out a groan as she was woken up by the blaring alarm clock. She slammed her hand down on the snooze button and reluctantly climbed out of bed. She had stayed up late with Beau last night before heading home and was exhausted. She knew he would be too.

As she got ready for school in the bathroom, she couldn't help but yawn. Today was going to be filled with tests, which always made the kids unhappy. But Brenna believed in keeping their minds sharp with surprise quizzes. They were smart students, she thought proudly.

Sitting at her desk during the test, she watched as the kids focused intently on their work. This one was for writing skills, followed by a math test. Despite their initial groaning, they got to work once the papers were handed out.

She wondered if Beau had talked to Donnie Simpson yet. The whole school was buzzing about his arrest. Surprisingly, Timmy and Shelby were in class today. She picked up her phone and sent Beau a text.

Are Timmy and Shelby being charged?

Yes, but they're on probation and will do community service. Simpson is in juvie and won't be attending school.

Have you talked to him?

I'll talk to him this evening. I'm on another case right now.

Let me know how it goes when you can.

Will do, darlin'. Talk later.

Smiling, she set her phone down and waited for the kids to finish their tests.

After lunch, she sat at her desk grading the writing tests while the students tackled math problems. The writing test covered proper use of capitalization, punctuation marks like periods and question marks, descriptive language, spelling familiar words correctly, and editing skills.

As she looked over the papers, she was pleased to see that most of them understood the concepts. There were a few who needed more practice, but she enjoyed helping them improve. Being a teacher was her passion, and seeing the students' minds light up as they solved problems was the best part of her job. She loved sending them off to second grade, knowing she had done her job well.

At the end of the school day, she sat at her desk grading the math tests and smiled at the high number of correct answers. She decided to finish grading at home since she was still exhausted from lack of sleep. Gathering up the papers and putting them in her bag, she grabbed her coat from the rack and headed out.

The hallways were quiet now that all the students had gone home. Brenna didn't like walking outside in the dark alone, but there was no one else around except for the janitor who was in another section of the school.

"You'll be fine," she reassured herself.

She made her way outside and across the parking lot to her car, which was one of only two vehicles left in the lot. She started the engine and drove home, hoping the expected snow wouldn't be too much trouble. Living near the mountains meant there was always a chance for more snowfall, and she knew she'd have to keep an eye on the weather in case school was cancelled.

After parking by the stairs to her apartment, she got out, picked up her satchel, and climbed the steps. She just hoped she didn't fall asleep on the papers.

****

Beau made his way into the detention center, signed in, and waited for someone to accompany Donnie to the interrogation room. After they arrived, Beau took a seat across from Simpson and stared at him, but the boy refused to meet his gaze. Beau leaned back in his chair, interlaced his fingers over his stomach, and focused intently on Donnie.

"Are you ready to tell me where you hid the horse?" he asked sternly.

"Who said I hid it?" Donnie smirked slyly.

Beau gritted his teeth and stood up, placing his hands firmly on the table as he leaned forward toward the young offender.

"If you did anything to that horse, I promise you'll be going to prison," he growled.

"For what?" Donnie challenged with a laugh.

Beau's anger boiled over at the sound of the boy's defiance.

"Animal cruelty," he seethed through clenched teeth. He proceeded to define and elaborate on what actions would constitute animal cruelty, as well as informing him of the potential consequences: a one-year prison sentence in addition to a fine that would be added to the existing theft charge. "So, are you sure you don't want to come clean about where the horse is? Because if not, I will do everything in my power to ensure you are punished to the fullest extent of the law," Beau warned, hoping to intimidate Donnie into confessing. "You'll stay here until you're eighteen and then go straight to prison, and I'm pretty sure your fellow inmates would have some ‘fun' with you," he added. To his surprise, Donnie appeared shaken at the threat, but still refused to speak. Beau sighed.

"I'm done with you. I'll see in court." He walked toward the door.

"Wait."

Beau turned to face him, raising an eyebrow, and waited for him to continue.

"Can we make a deal?"

"A deal? Kid, you watch too much TV. You stole a horse and you're committing animal cruelty. Where's the horse? " Beau snapped as his patience wore thin.

The boy's voice trembled as he offered a potential deal to avoid staying in the cell any longer. It seemed that the gravity of his actions was finally sinking in. Beau strode back to the table, taking a seat while fixing Donnie with a stern gaze. When Donnie remained silent about the horse, Beau slammed his hand down on the table, causing the boy to flinch.

"Speak up. I don't have time for games. If you want to make a deal, then talk now. But know this; if that horse hasn't been taken care of, there will be no deal and you'll rot in here. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," came Donnie's quiet response.

"Please tell me you made sure it had food and water."

"It could eat the grass and drink from a nearby creek," Donnie replied hastily.

"A horse needs more than just grass, and how the hell did you expect it to eat with the snow covering any grass?" Beau tightened his jaw in frustration.

"I'll tell you where it is if you let me out," Donnie snapped.

"Don't take that tone with me, boy. I can leave right now and leave you here permanently. And I won't play your little games. I need to see that horse first and pray that wolves haven't gotten to it." Beau leaned back in his chair, trying to control his anger before he did something regrettable.

"Wolves?" Donnie asked then swallowed hard.

"Yes. If a pack is hungry enough, they'll take whatever food source they can find, including taking down a horse. If the horse is still alive and well, we can talk about making a deal. So where is it?" he demanded.

Donnie sat in silence, clearly struggling with whether or not to reveal the location of the horse. Eventually, he shook his head and Beau stood up in frustration.

"You're testing my patience. Speak up or I'm leaving."

"Fine," Donnie relented. "It's at an abandoned property about a mile from where I got it."

"How did you transport it? A trailer?" Beau asked.

"Yes, a friend let me borrow his trailer."

"Did this friend know what you were going to do with the trailer?"

"No, if he did, he wouldn't have let me use it."

"Well at least one of your friends has some sense. Bad thing is, that trailer will also be confiscated."

"But he didn't know what I was doing with it," Donnie said.

"Doesn't matter. Any type of vehicle used in livestock theft is taken. Do you know the address of this property?"

Donnie admitted that he didn't but provided Beau with directions instead. As Beau turned to leave, Donnie called after him.

"Do I have to stay here tonight?"

"You will stay here until I find the horse and assess its condition. Then we'll see if I want to help you or not." Beau walked out the door and nodded to the police officer stationed there. "He can go back to his cell now. Thank you."

"Of course, sir. Have a good evening," replied the polite officer.

Beau strode from the building wanting to go to the property now, but it was too dark and snowing. He knew he wouldn't be able to see anything. As much as he hated it, he would wait until tomorrow.

****

Brenna lounged on her sofa, flipping through channels and hoping to hear from Beau. It was already past eight o'clock and she hadn't heard anything from him. Giving up, she decided to take a relaxing bath and watch TV in her bedroom. She made sure to take her phone with her, just in case Beau called.

As she soaked in the tub, thoughts of Beau filled her mind once again. She couldn't seem to stop thinking about him. After the heartbreak she experienced with Eric, she didn't want to get hurt again, but she also had faith that Beau wouldn't betray her like Eric did.

Having someone who was supposed to love you cheat on you was a pain unlike any other. To Brenna, there was no excuse for it. Wedding vows were sacred to her, and she would never break them. But Eric apparently didn't feel the same way, and she still wondered if Liz was his first affair.

Her phone buzzed and she eagerly answered when she saw it was Beau's number.

"Hey there, cowboy."

"Hey. I'm sorry to call so late, but I just got home."

"It's okay. Long day?"

"Yeah. And then I stopped at the juvie center to talk to Simpson." Beau's voice held a hint of frustration.

"Did he say anything?"

"Yes. He told me where the horse was, and I'll be going there tomorrow. There's not much we can do tonight; it's too dark and hard to see. But I'll go first thing in the morning. That boy better pray that horse is okay."

"I hope it is. Where did he leave it?"

"He left it on an abandoned property. The only food for the horse is grass, but with all this snow, there can't be much left. He said there's a creek nearby too. That boy is heading down the wrong path."

"I hope the horse is alright."

"Me too. So, what are you up to?"

"I'm taking a bath. Want to join me?"

Beau chuckled. "If you had asked while I was driving home, I would have stopped by."

Brenna laughed. "If only you had called earlier..."

"Oh, so it's my fault now."

"Of course, it is."

"Well, I'm sorry to have missed that opportunity. But I should probably go before I fall asleep on the phone. I need to take a shower and get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day on that property, trying to locate the horse."

"Okay. Goodnight, Beau. Have sweet dreams."

"They definitely will be with you in them."

"You're quite the smooth talker, Beau McCallister," Brenna teased.

He laughed. "Goodnight, baby. Talk to you tomorrow."

She hung up and smiled, knowing she would have sweet dreams as well. Was she falling for him too quickly? She liked him so much, more than just as a friend. But were his feelings the same? Only time would tell where their relationship was headed.

Sitting up, she washed herself with her sponge and then got out of the tub to put on a T-shirt and lounge pants. She climbed into bed and turned on the TV to check the weather forecast. The snow was expected to continue overnight, and she hoped school wouldn't be canceled, although she knew it was likely if the roads became impassable.

The blaring alarm disrupted her sleep, signaling the start of a new day. It felt like she had just crawled into bed. Groaning, she got up and trudged to the bathroom before making her way to the kitchen for some much-needed coffee. She turned on the TV to check if school was canceled and was disappointed to hear that both Clifton and Hartland County schools were closed.

"Great," she said. "Another boring day." She walked toward the front door, opened it, and gasped at the sight of heavy snowfall. The snowflakes were so thick she couldn't even see her parents' house across the yard. Quickly shutting the door, she shivered in the cold.

Brenna's mind raced as she wondered how Beau would make it to the property to find her mother's horse. The roads were completely covered in snow. She chewed on her bottom lip, worried about the horse being out there with no food or shelter. A tear ran down her cheek as she thought about how devastated her mother would be if anything happened to that horse. It had been a part of their family for fifteen years; losing it would be heartbreaking for them all.

****

Beau cursed under his breath as he struggled to navigate his truck through the snow-covered roads. He had no choice but to find that horse, it had been missing for far too long and its food source was surely dwindling.

"I swear, if that horse is hurt in any way, I'll be paying a visit to the detention center to kick that boy's sorry ass," he growled, frustration evident in his voice.

Just then, his phone buzzed, and he quickly pressed the button on the steering wheel to answer the call from his brother.

"Luke? What's going on?" Beau asked.

"Please tell me you're not out in this shit trying to find that horse," Luke pleaded.

"You know I am. I can't leave it out there any longer."

Luke let out a heavy sigh. "I know. Do you have the department's trailer? I can meet you at the location."

"Yeah, I have the trailer. Are you sure?"

"Yes. If three of us are searching, maybe we'll have better luck finding it."

"Three of us?" Beau furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Yeah, Killian's with me. We had a call earlier about a stray steer on a ranch and we didn't find anything, so we're heading back to the department now."

"I'd really appreciate your help," Beau said gratefully.

"No problem. Just give me the address and we'll be on our way."

After sharing the directions for the abandoned property where Simpson had left the horse, Beau smiled when Luke informed him, they were already turning around and heading there.

As he pulled onto the driveway of the deserted property, Beau couldn't help but curse again at the sight of how deep the snow was. Since no one lived here, the grounds hadn't been plowed and any tracks left by Simpson when he dropped off the horse were long gone. Damn it all. And with twenty acres to cover, Beau was grateful for his brother and Killian's help.

He made it to the old house, that looked like a gust of wind would topple it and parked. He pulled on his gloves before stepping out, then he buttoned his coat, and trudged through the snow to the wood fence.

Beau removed his binoculars from his pocket and scanned the pasture. He was hoping to see some hoofprints, but he didn't see anything but snow.

"Damn it." He turned when he heard another vehicle and was happy to see his brother's truck pulling to a stop beside his. Then he watched as both men stepped from the truck, pulling on their gloves, and then headed toward him. He grinned when he saw Luke shaking his head.

"You are out of your mind, big brother," Luke said, grinning.

"If this was your case, you'd be doing the same thing."

"Hell, it's not my case and I'm doing the same thing." Luke sighed.

"Hey, Killian."

"Beau. I hope we can find this horse. More snow is predicted." Killian looked around. "It can't have much to eat."

Beau clenched his jaw. "I know. That's why I have to find it. If wolves haven't gotten to it."

"Let's go in different directions. Make sure your phones are on, so if one of us finds it, we can let the others know," Luke suggested.

"Sounds good. I'll head east," Killian said. "Maybe we'll be lucky and see tracks."

"That would be great, but with the way it's snowing, they'll be covered in no time," Beau said, then looked at Luke. "I'll head north, take the west, and hopefully one of us will find it."

As the men went in different directions, Beau held his hat on his head as the wind picked up. He had to be crazy being out in this, but it was part of the job. The horse needed to be found, and soon. Trudging through the deep snow was slow going, but he knew that Luke and Killian would keep going, so he had to. His jeans were getting soaked on the bottom and he was damn cold.

Fifteen minutes passed and his phone buzzed. He looked at it to see Killian's number and prayed he found the horse.

"Killian?"

"I found a trail of blood."

"Shit. Can you follow it?"

"I am. I have my weapon ready in case there are wolves. I hope this doesn't lead to the horse."

"Yeah, you and me both. Let me know. I'll keep going for now."

"Okay." Killian disconnected.

Beau called Luke and told him what Killian said, and to keep going until they knew for sure that blood wasn't from the horse. Just then his phone buzzed again, and he took a deep breath when he saw it was Killian again.

"What did you find?"

"It's a deer. No sign of the horse being here. I'll keep going."

Beau sighed with relief. "Okay. Keep me posted."

"Yes, sir."

Beau disconnected and continued through the snow. He could see where it looked like tracks but couldn't make out what kind they were because snow had covered most of them. He followed them and came to a knoll. He stopped and looked through his binoculars again. He scanned the area, then swiftly went back when he thought he saw something.

"There you are," Beau murmured when he spotted the horse with its face in the snow, trying to eat the brown grass under it. He pulled his phone out and called Luke.

"Yeah?"

"I found her."

"Is she alive?"

"Yes. Now I just have to get to her and lead her back."

"Do you need us?"

"Yes, call Killian and you guys head this way. I'm going to see how close I can get to her without making her bolt. I'm glad she has a halter on."

"Alright. We'll be right there." Luke disconnected.

Beau took a deep breath as he made his way down the hill and walked toward the horse. It raised its head, and Beau swore at how thin the horse was.

"Come here, pretty girl. I won't hurt you," he murmured as he put his hand out to the animal. He sighed when the mare walked toward him. She butted her head against his chest as if she knew he was there to rescue her. He rubbed her face. "I'll get you back to where you belong. I'm sure your mistress will be thrilled to see you."

Beau held on to the halter, and led the mare back to where the trucks were parked. He saw Luke walking toward him but didn't see Killian yet.

"Man, she's thin," Luke said.

"I want to bring that kid here and let him out in these elements. Let's see how he'd do," Beau growled.

"I really hope this isn't a pattern now. All we need is a bunch of kids thinking it's fun to do this."

"I hear you. That worries me too." Beau looked around. "Where's Killian?"

"There," Luke said and pointed to Killian walking out from the woods.

"She definitely wouldn't have lasted much longer," Killian said when he reached them.

"Yeah, she came right to me. She was probably hoping for some food."

"Once you get her home, I'm sure they'll feed her." Luke patted the horse's neck.

"I'm sure too. I'll get her in the trailer, then take her home. I'll call Mr. Lawrence once I get on the road."

"More snow coming," Luke said, nodding toward the mountains. The snow was so thick, the tops couldn't be seen.

"Hell. Help me get her in the trailer," Beau said.

After loading the horse, Beau nodded for Luke to go first, and he'd follow behind. He didn't want Luke to ride behind because he wouldn't be able to see around the trailer and it was bad enough with the snow being so heavy. Once Luke pulled out of the driveway, Beau waited a few seconds then drove out behind him. He turned the wipers up on high, but it didn't help much. Snow and ice were caked on them. He decided not to call Greg Lawrence. He needed to concentrate on maneuvering this trailer through the snow.

"You deserve a raise for this, McCallister," he muttered.

The only good thing was that he wasn't far from the Lawrence ranch. He'd just have to get the horse unloaded and leave as soon as he could so he wouldn't get stuck on the road between here and his home. As he approached the ranch, he called Luke to tell him he was pulling into the driveway.

"Do you need any help?" Luke asked him.

"No. You guys get back to town then head home. This shit is going to get worse."

"Alright but let me know when you get home."

"Worried about me?" Beau grinned.

"Hell no," Luke said, but Beau could hear the laughter in his voice.

"I'll shoot you a text. Be damn careful."

"Yes, sir."

Beau laughed. "Damn smartass."

As he drove the truck up the driveway, he wondered if he'd see Brenna. He'd like that, but he also knew he had to get on the road and get home. He couldn't afford to stick around, or he'd never get home. His feet and legs were freezing.

He stopped the truck at the barn, hopped out, strode across the yard to the Lawrence residence and knocked on the door. It opened and he smiled when he saw Mr. Lawrence.

"Agent McCallister, what in the world are you doing out in this weather?"

"Bringing your mare home." Beau nodded toward the trailer.

"You found her? That's wonderful." Greg Lawrence turned his head and called out. "Honey, your mare is home."

Beau grinned and then saw a very pretty woman coming to the door. He could see where Brenna got her looks.

"Agent McCallister, this is my wife, Lisa. Hon, this is Agent Beau McCallister with MDOL."

"Agent McCallister, it's so nice to meet you and thank you so much for bringing Flame home," she said as she shook hands with him.

"You're welcome, but I have to warn you, she's very thin. She'll need some food and water."

"Let me grab my coat and put my boots on," Lisa said.

"I'll do it, hon. You don't need to go out in this."

"She is my horse, and I want to see her," she said with her hands on her hips.

Beau did his best not to laugh when Greg rolled his eyes.

"I'll get her unloaded and meet you in the barn." Beau touched the brim of his hat and walked back to the trailer.

As he led the horse out, he stopped when he heard his name, and smiled when he saw Brenna walking toward him.

"Hi," he said and kissed her lips when she reached him.

"Thank you so much for this, Beau, but it's so bad out, you should have waited."

"She's not in the best shape, Brenna, so any longer and she might not have made it home."

Brenna gasped when she saw the horse, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"My mom is going to be so upset when she sees her."

"I tried to warn her, but it's worse than she probably thinks. I'd call Dr. Garrett to check her out once the weather clears."

"I'm sure Mom will do that."

"Mom will do what?" Lisa said when she reached them, then she gasped. "Oh, my poor baby."

"It's okay, Mom, we'll get her back to herself soon. Let's just get her inside so she can eat." Brenna looked at Beau and his heart broke seeing the pain in both women's eyes as they looked at the horse.

"I'll take her. Tell me which stall you want her in."

"First one on the left, please, Agent McCallister."

"Please, call me Beau." He led the horse into the stall and watched as Brenna fed her some oats and gave her water. The horse put her head in the bucket of oats and ignored them.

"At least she's eating," Beau said. "She was trying to find grass under the snow, and by the looks of her, she hadn't had much luck."

"She'll be fine now. Thank you."

"Yes, ma'am." He looked at Brenna. "I'd better go. The roads were getting worse."

"You can stay here tonight," Brenna said.

"Uh…" Beau looked at Brenna then her mother and back to Brenna.

"Yes, you stay with Brenna, Beau. I'd offer you a room, but I have a feeling you'd rather stay with my daughter." Lisa laughed.

"Mom!"

"What? This is the Beau McCallister you're seeing right? I mean, how many can there be? You two go inside where it's warm. I'm going to stay with Flame for a little while, so she knows she's home and safe. You need to change out of those wet jeans, Beau. You have to be freezing."

"Yes, ma'am. I keep spare clothes in my truck for reasons just like this."

"Well, get them and change, then you and Brenna can spend some time together."

Beau looked at Brenna and shrugged, then he removed a duffle bag from the backseat of his truck. He walked back to Brenna. She took his hand and led him to her apartment. They carefully made their way up the snow-covered stairs and went inside.