Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Beau sat across from Sheriff McMasters in the small, cluttered office of the Jessup Peak Sheriff’s Department. The smell of stale coffee filled the room, the hum of the ancient ceiling fan irritating his nerves. McMasters leaned back in his chair, chewing on the end of a toothpick as he flipped through the folder of spreadsheets documenting the logged paperwork they’d confiscated from Teddy on his desk.

“This evidence,” McMasters said, tapping the folder with a stubby finger, “it’s more than enough to make the charges against Teddy stick. Payments, bank transfers, hired goons sabotaging the ranch—hell, the guy practically gift-wrapped it for us. Dumb crooks always think they’re smarter than they are.”

Beau nodded, his fingers drumming against the arm of his chair. “It’s solid. But we both know a good lawyer will try to poke holes in it. Teddy’s got the money to fight, and he’ll throw everything he has at it.”

McMasters gave a low grunt of agreement, his eyes narrowing. “What about Abbie? She pressing charges for the assault?”

Beau shifted in his seat, a flicker of tension running through him. The memory of Teddy pinning Abbie to the wall, her fear flashing across her face, was still too fresh. His fists clenched just thinking about it. “She wants to think about it. I think she’s worried coming back for trial would interfere with her new job at her law firm back in New York. While she’d like to castrate the bastard herself, she says she’s being practical. If he goes to jail for the things he’s done to her grandfather, she’ll be satisfied.”

McMasters sighed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk. “I get it. It’s not easy for a woman to press charges in cases like this, even with us backing her up. But damn it, Beau, that bastard deserves to pay for what he did. He might land ten years for fraud and arson, but he might land another ten for assault. I’d love to stick it to the bastard. Keep him out of my community until I’m dead and gone.”

Beau’s jaw tightened. “Oh, he’ll pay. One way or another.” His fists clenched and unclenched as if they could feel Teddy’s throat beneath them.

The sheriff studied him for a long moment, his shrewd eyes seeming to see right through Beau’s calm exterior. “You’ve been here a few weeks now, Elliott. Long enough to know the lay of the land. Are you thinking about sticking around?”

The question caught Beau off guard, and for a moment, he didn’t answer. He had been considering it, more than he cared to admit. But the thought of staying here without the possibility of running into Abbie—spending time with Abbie—had no appeal to him.

“I’m not cut out for small-town police work,” he said finally, forcing a smirk onto his face. “Sure, chasing down lost goats and breaking up bar fights is charming for a little while, but eventually, I’d get bored. I’m used to bigger cases, bigger stakes. At heart, I’m an adrenalin junkie. This isn’t my scene.”

McMasters raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “You sure about that? Because from where I’m sitting, you seem to be doing just fine here. Better than fine, actually.”

Beau shrugged, his gaze dropping to the floor. “It’s been a nice change of pace, but I’m a city cop. Always have been. This assignment was never seen as permanent.”

The sheriff leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you say so. But I’ve seen around to know when a man’s lying to himself.”

Beau opened his mouth to reply, but the words caught in his throat. How could he explain the pull he felt toward this place—toward Abbie—when he couldn’t even admit it to himself? Instead, he forced another smirk and shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but it’s not happening, Sheriff.”

McMasters sighed, his expression a mix of frustration and understanding. “All right, son. But let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t let pride or fear or whatever the hell’s holding you back keep you from something good. Life’s too damn short.”

Beau sat at his desk finishing up as much paperwork as possible. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been working, but he took a break and swiveled his office chair around to stare out the back window of the sheriff’s office, his arms crossed as he watched the sun sink behind the horizon painting the sky in shades of gold and crimson. The sight was breathtaking, yet it did little to soothe the storm raging inside him. His mind was a tangled mess of doubts and fears, the kind he couldn’t outpace, no matter how far or fast he ran.

It had been three days since Teddy had been arrested and made bail, and while the ranch’s immediate danger was gone, Beau’s inner turmoil had only grown. Every time he saw Abbie, her determination and passion for the ranch, her family, and even for him, he felt a pull he couldn’t deny. And that scared the hell out of him.

She deserved more than what he could give her. Beau knew that. He was a guy who played by his own rules, a guy who’d seen too much of the world’s ugliness to believe in fairy-tale endings. Abbie was the opposite—polished, ambitious, and too damn good for the likes of him. She belonged in Manhattan where she could build a life that matched her brilliance. Not here, not with him.

The sound of footsteps outside the office door had him hoping it was Abbie, but when the door swung open, Sheriff McMasters walked in, his weathered face framed by the brim of his hat.

“I came by to see if you wanted to meet me and some deputies over at the axe throwing place. Let off a little steam, but I can see you’re brooding again, Elliott,” the sheriff said, his voice carrying that easy drawl of someone who had seen it all. “Maybe I need to stay here and get down to what’s eating at you, or should I take a wild guess?”

Beau smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I didn’t know you moonlighted as a therapist, Sheriff.”

McMasters chuckled, his eyes twinkling with humor. “I’ve been on this job long enough to pick up on a thing or two. And right now, you’re about as subtle as a bull calf in a nut clamp.”

“Ouch.” Beau grimaced at the thought and then inhaled a deep breath and sighed it through tight lips, running a hand through his hair. “It’s nothing. Just got a lot on my mind.”

“Uh-huh,” McMasters said, clearly not buying it. “Does this ‘nothing’ have anything to do with a certain fiery lawyer who’s been turning this place upside down?”

Beau stiffened, his jaw clenching. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t,” McMasters said with a knowing grin. “Look, son, I’m not here to pry. But I’ve seen the way you look at her, and I’ve seen the way she looks at you. So why in the hell are you keeping her at arm’s length?”

“Because she deserves better,” Beau said before he could stop himself. The words hung in the air, raw and unfiltered. “She’s got a whole life waiting for her in the city. She doesn’t need me dragging her down.”

McMasters studied him for a long moment before nodding slowly. “I get it. You think you’re doing her a favor by stepping back. But let me tell you something, Beau—women like Abbie Carter aren’t the kind to let someone else decide what’s best for them.”

Beau frowned, his defenses rising. “I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

“The right thing for who?” McMasters replied. “You or her?”

Beau didn’t answer, his gaze dropping to the floor.

The sheriff sighed, his tone softening. “You remind me of myself, you know. Stubborn as a mule and twice as hard-headed.”

Beau snorted. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“Let me finish,” McMasters said, his voice tinged with sadness. “Years ago, I loved a woman. Smart as a whip, beautiful as a sunrise, and too good for me by a long shot. I thought I was doing her a favor by stepping aside, letting her find someone who could give her the life she deserved. But you know what happened?”

Beau shook his head, curiosity piqued despite himself.

“She left anyway,” McMasters said, his gaze distant. “Not because she didn’t love me, but because I didn’t give her the choice. I assumed I knew what was best for her, and I pushed her away. Spent the rest of my life regretting it.”

The words hit Beau like a punch to the gut. He looked at the older man, seeing the weight of his past etched into his face.

“She ever come back?” Beau asked quietly.

McMasters shook his head. “No. And she shouldn’t have. I made my bed, and I’ve been lying in it ever since. Alone. Never got married. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a woman like Abbie doesn’t need you to decide for her. She’s smart enough to make up her own damn mind if you present her with choices.”

Beau was silent for a long moment, the sheriff’s words sinking in. Finally, he nodded. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll think on it”

“Don’t thank me yet,” McMasters said with a wry smile. “You just need to focus on not screwing this up, Elliott. Life’s too short for regrets.”

Beau nodded, but the sheriff’s words only made the weight in his chest heavier with indecision. The sheriff’s phone rang. He listened and Beau could hear a fair amount of yelling on the other end of the call. Finally, the lawman assured the caller he was on his way. “Be right there.”

“Gotta go. Mr. Parker’s milk cow tore down the fence again between his property and Widow Quinn’s garden. The more Mr. Parker tries to get her out, the more she tears up the garden. I usually call one of the cowboys off Mr. Carter’s ranch to come and rope her back on her side of the fence, but it’ll take him thirty minutes to get there and from the sound of the screaming in the background, someone’s gonna take matters into their own hands if I don’t get there quick.”

“The trials and tribulations of a lawman in a small town,” Beau teased.

“Yeah, maybe so, but it beats getting shot at for a living.”

“You got a point. See you tomorrow.”

McMasters waved goodbye, but just before he was out the door, he stopped and turned. “Think about what I said, Elliott. Ain’t every day a man gets an opportunity like this.”

“And like I said, Sheriff, eventually, I’d get bored. This isn’t my scene. I’m a city cop. Always have been."

McMasters shook his head and sent him a look that shouted hard-headed idiot . He ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the weight of the conversation with Sheriff McMasters. He supposed he could give it some more thought, but that would mean he needed to talk to Abbie first.

He had a lot of thinking to do.