Unforgivable Part 3
Sequel to A Little Rowdy, because I just wasn’t done with those two! Here it is - the final part!
Huge thanks to editsbymichele (IG) for the lovely Beau header - beautiful as always, my friend!! And thank you to @firefly-graphics for the divider!
Beau and Laney have settled into a comfortable relationship, things are smooth and easy - until Laney is threatened, and Beau strongly suspects she’s not the real target.
Pairing: Beau Arlen x Laney Marcus
Word Count: 5867 (Got a little wordy 😁)
Warnings: Smut (as usual), stalking, menacing behavior
Part 1 Part 2
Laney stared down at the photos, a cold numbness seeping through her body. She stood there silent for a moment, then pushed away from the desk. Beau called her name as she rushed towards the door, jerking it open and heading out into the main office. He looked at Poppernak, frustration and anger in his eyes. “Goddamn it, Pops,” he said softly through clenched teeth, then followed after Laney.
She was busily sorting permits and complaint forms to be filed, her hands visibly shaking, and Beau closed his eyes for a moment, wishing he had the person responsible in his hands. He pulled a chair up close to her desk and sat down, leaning forward with his arms braced on his knees. “Laney, look at me,” he said, his voice quiet and gentle.
She shook her head, continuing on with her task. “No. I can’t deal with this right now, Beau. I just need to work. I just… I need to keep busy. And if I look at you, I’ll start crying, and… I just can’t.”
“Okay. I get it. Or you can come in my office, and I’ll just hold you all afternoon if that’s what you need, honey.”
She shook her head again. “No, you can’t. There’s too much going on right now, you’ve got a job to do, and so do I. I’ll fall apart later.” He sat there looking at her, barely restraining himself from pulling her into his arms in spite of what she’d said. She stopped moving suddenly, staring down at her desk, her eyes stinging with tears she was fighting to control. “Beau, please. I’m okay. I promise.”
He took a deep breath, shaking his head as he stood reluctantly. “Okay, Laney. Okay. Promise me you’ll call me if you need me. If you need anything. I mean it.”
She nodded, and he turned away, heading back to his office, where Poppernak stood watching in the doorway. “Is she okay, boss?”
“No,” he answered shortly, going to his desk to gather the photos, the note and the envelope. “Take these to be processed for prints. And then meet me outside, we need to head back out to the fairgrounds.” He grabbed his Stetson and left his office, glancing at Laney one more time before he headed for the front door.
When Beau unlocked the door to Laney’s place that night, it was past midnight. He walked in, sending a weary half-smile Cassie’s way as she uncurled herself from the sofa. “Hey, Beau.”
“Man, I’m sorry, Cassie. This all couldn’t have happened at a worse time. I hope you know how much I appreciate you hanging out here with Laney.”
“No worries. I crashed on the couch, not like it’s the first time I’ve done it. I’ll survive.”
“How was she?”
Cassie shrugged. “Pretty quiet. She went to bed early.”
Beau nodded. “Yeah. Rough day.” He ran a hand back through his hair. “I hate that I couldn’t…”
“Stop it. She knows. Quit beating yourself up.”
He quirked a rueful smile and nodded. “Wish it was that easy.”
Cassie rose to her feet and grabbed her jacket, giving Beau’s shoulder a squeeze on the way by. “See you later.”
“Yeah. Thanks again.” He locked the door after her, then turned and hung his hat and jacket on the hook by the door before pulling off his boots. He quietly made his way through the bedroom, closing the bathroom door softly, shedding his clothes and climbing in for a quick shower.
Laney was sound asleep as he crawled into bed beside her, and she let out a contented sigh as he pulled her into his arms. “Hey,” she mumbled into his chest, snuggling into his warmth.
“Hey, honey.” He kissed her hair and gave her a squeeze, smiling as she kissed his skin in return.
“You okay?” she whispered.
“Long day, but I’m okay. Are you?”
“Better now.”
“Yeah. Me, too, darlin’.”
The next morning, Jenny popped into Beau’s office with a cup of coffee in each hand, and he shot her a grateful grin. “You read my mind.”
“I figured you could use a little extra boost.” She sighed. “So, I came in early to go through the security cam footage from yesterday.”
“Oh? Jenny, you didn’t have to do that, but thank you. Get anything?”
She huffed out a breath in frustration. “No. Whoever sent that envelope was smart enough to bribe some kid, probably nine or ten years old, to bring it in and drop it off. So no help there. I’m sorry.”
“Not surprised. Thanks for checking that out, I appreciate it. I just hope nothing else blows up until this goddamn festival is over.”
Jenny headed for the door, turning back to nod in agreement. “Hope so. Catch you later.”
Beau took a big gulp of the coffee, grabbed his hat, and walked out into the office. His eyes slid over Laney’s way, but she was smiling and talking to a co-worker, so he shoved that worry down below a few of the others on his mind. He headed to the front and turned, speaking loudly to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, everybody, listen up. We’re gonna have our hands full for the next few days, so just letting you all know that Powell and Jefferson Counties are sending some deputies to help us out for the festival. I’m sure most of you already know these guys, they’ll just be pitching in. City police are gonna be pretty busy here in town, too, but they’ll help out when and if they can. State Patrol are also aware, they can be called on if we need ‘em, but hopefully that won’t be necessary. I’m giving the assignment list to Madge, so check in with her and get familiar with where you’ll be and when. Okay, let’s hit it. Any problems, give me or Deputy Hoyt a yell.” He caught Laney’s eye and he sent her a wink in response to her smile before plopping his Stetson on his head and heading out the door.
Laney and Denise were sitting in her living room chatting when Beau walked in the door late that afternoon, and Laney jumped up to greet him with a hug and a happy grin. “I didn’t think I’d see you tonight!” Her smile faded quickly as she continued. “Or do you have to leave again?”
“Nope. Everything’s covered for now. Calm before the storm. Everything’s set up and settled out at the fairgrounds, the rodeo isn’t until Saturday and Sunday, so the cowboys won’t be here to raise a ruckus until Friday night. And I brought pizza.” He hung his hat and jacket up and grabbed the pizza he had set down on the hall table. “Pepperoni. Extra pepperoni.”
Laney took the pizza from him and stretched up to give him a kiss. “Well, I’ll grab some beer and plates,” she offered, “and you sit down and relax.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulled his boots off and headed for the couch, settling in with a sigh and propping his feet up on the coffee table.
They talked Denise into staying for pizza, enjoying each other’s company for a while before she stood up and stretched. “Okay, you two, I have stuff to do at home, so better hit the road.” She looked at Beau sternly. “Bo-bo, you need to get some sleep.”
He shot her a crooked smile. “Planning on it.”
Laney walked her to the door, sending her on her way with a hug and thank you before locking up behind her. She came back and sat at the opposite end of the couch, and Beau shot her a pouty look. “Hey… do I need a shower that bad?”
She smiled, shaking her head. “No, you goofball. Come here.” She patted her leg, and he perked up.
“Yeah?”
“Yes, get over here. Stretch out and get comfy and relax for a change.” He mumbled about the bossy women in his life as he shifted positions, but the contented sigh when he laid his head in her lap made her laugh. “You love it. Sometimes.” He pulled her arm over him and hugged it to his chest.
“You’re right. I do. Sometimes.”
She grabbed the remote and flipped through channels until she found an old detective series marathon, then put her feet up on the coffee table and ran her fingers through Beau’s hair. He hummed in approval, so she continued, letting the soft strands run through her fingers, sometimes very gently scratching over his scalp with her nails.
“I’ll give you two years to quit that,” he mumbled, and she laughed softly. He was practically purring in her lap, and he pressed a kiss to the hand he held captured. “You’re gonna put me to sleep, darlin’.”
“I don’t mind. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go to bed.” He snuggled in a little more, and she gladly continued, even when he began to softly snore.
The festival kicked off on Thursday afternoon, and it didn’t take long for the sheriff’s office to be overrun with members of the public coming in to report fender-benders at the fairgrounds parking area, car break-ins, and apparently a very talented pickpocket who had relieved several people of their wallets. A good portion of the deputies were at the fairgrounds, and everyone left in the office, including Laney, were busy taking reports. The only time she had seen Beau all day was when he came in to take someone to the holding cell that he had caught red-handed breaking into a car.
Laney looked up as Madge brought yet another person to her desk to file a complaint. The dark-haired woman was in tears, the front of her shirt torn, and Laney helped her take a seat, handing her a tissue as she sat down to take her report. “Are you hurt?” The woman shook her head. “What’s your name, ma’am?”
“Mya. Mya Cameron.”
“Okay, Mya. Can you tell me what happened?”
The poor woman had been assaulted, dragged behind one of the buildings, but when someone happened to walk by, her attacker had grabbed her purse and run away. Laney did her best to calm the woman, taking down all the details Mya could remember and listing the important items that had been stolen from her.
Mya was still shaking when they finished, and Laney put a sympathetic hand over hers, giving it a squeeze. “Do you have someone that can come and pick you up?” she asked, but Mya shook her head.
“N-no, my car is parked in back, there was no place left in front. I don’t live far, I can make it home. But – can you walk me to my car? When I get home I can drive into the garage, but I’m afraid to go outside alone.”
Laney nodded. “I understand.” She glanced around, but everyone was busy helping someone, so she gave Mya’s hand another squeeze. “I’ll walk you out.”
She ushered the woman back through the booking room to the back door, and Mya pointed to the small, dark sedan parked behind the building. “That’s my car.” They walked out together, Laney’s hand on her back reassuringly as Mya thanked her. “Thank you so much, I just couldn’t come back out here alone, you’ve been so kind.” They reached her car, and Mya pulled her keys from her pocket, hitting the button to unlock the door and opening it. “And now I need you to get in.”
Laney’s eyes widened as the woman grabbed a gun from the drivers seat of the car and gestured inside. “Get in. Now.”
“How the fuck did this happen?” Even in his office with the door closed, Beau’s voice carried through the entire office.
“Beau. You need to calm down.” Jenny’s voice was firm, and Beau glared at her, but took a deep breath and stopped shouting.
“I’ll start checking the security cam footage, see if we can see where she went,” Poppernak offered, and Beau nodded curtly, his teeth clenched. He grabbed his football from the shelf, kneading it between his hands, and Jenny put a hand on his shoulder.
“Breathe.”
“I should have assigned somebody to her full time. I thought she’d be safe in here. Goddamnit!” Beau growled, setting the ball down and heading out the door to Poppernak’s desk. “Anything?” Pops was scrolling through, watching sped-up footage of everyone who had been at Laney’s desk. Beau gripped the edge of his deputy’s desk so hard his knuckles were white, watching with narrowed eyes as a dark-haired woman was led to Laney’s desk by Madge. “Slow it down, Pops.”
“You recognize her?” Poppernak asked, slowing the footage down.
“Not sure. Maybe.”
They watched closely as Laney appeared to look around, then stood and walked with the woman to the back of the room. “Let me switch cameras, boss.” Pops moved to the view from the booking room, then to the outside view of the back of the building. They watched as the women walked to the car and Mya aimed the gun at Laney, and Beau swore under his breath as she forced Laney to get in, then looked straight at the camera before getting in beside her. “Shit. Mya.”
“You know her?” Jenny asked, and Beau nodded.
“Yeah. From Houston. She was my partner’s confidential informant.”
“The one who was killed?” Beau gave a grim nod, and Jenny took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. “What do you want to do?”
Beau looked into her eyes, the struggle for control evident on his features. “Pops, put out an APB on that license plate. But she’ll be calling. She’s after me.”
Less than half an hour later, Beau’s phone rang. He looked at it as if it would bite him for a moment, then grabbed it and answered. “Yeah.”
“Beau?”
He stood up, his heart thudding in his chest. “Laney? Laney, are you all right?”
Her voice shook a little as she answered. “I’m fine. She hasn’t hurt me.”
“Baby, I’m so sorry…”
“It’s not your fault. Beau…” He closed his eyes, his face working as he fought to stay calm. “Beau, she said come alone. She’ll text you the address. But stay away, don’t come…” The call went dead, cutting her pleading short, and Beau dropped back down into his chair. A few seconds later, the text came through, and he nodded silently.
“Okay. I have to deal with this. Jenny, you’re in charge.”
Jenny glared down at him. “You’re not going alone. We’re coming with you. We’ll stay outside until you need us, but…”
“She’s right, boss,” Poppernak joined in. “We’re coming.”
Beau stared back at them, his mouth held tight. “Fine. But I’m going in alone. Got that? I’m not risking it. If she wants me, she’s got me. As long as she lets Laney go. Houston’s been haunting me long enough.”
Laney shifted uncomfortably, unable to move much since Mya had bound both her wrists and her ankles to the chair with duct tape. They were in an old car repair shop, long empty from the looks of it, windows boarded up and only one functioning regular door at the front next to a huge garage door. “Why are you doing this?”
Her captor threw a glare over her shoulder, turning back to watch the door. “Nothing to do with you. You’re just bait.”
“So you’re a coward. Waiting here to ambush him when he walks in.”
“Shut up. You have no idea what he’s done.”
“I know he’s a good man. And whatever he did, there had to be a reason.”
Mya sighed, impatient with the conversation, pacing the floor and keeping her eyes on the front of the room. “Just shut up before I find an old grease rag to shove down your throat.”
Laney fired a venomous look at the woman’s back, continuing to try and loosen her bonds. Unfortunately, the tape didn’t loosen easily, but she kept working at it, desperate to do something. Mya still had the gun in her hand, and Laney was struggling not to panic at the thought of Beau walking straight through that door and into a bullet.
She heard the sound of a vehicle pulling up outside, unable to stop herself from speaking again. “Please, Mya – please, I’m begging you, whatever it is, you two can talk about it. Maybe he can help you. Just please don’t…”
“SHUT. UP.” The woman rushed towards her, grabbing the roll of duct tape and tearing off a strip, slapping it over Laney’s mouth. She still let out a muffled shout as the door opened and she watched the silhouette of Beau’s tall form against the brightness outside. “Come in and close the door,” Mya ordered, and he complied, his hands held out to his sides as he walked closer. “Far enough.”
“Laney, are you all right?” he asked, and she nodded, relieved to see he was wearing his bullet-proof vest.
“She’s fine. For now, anyway.”
“Okay, Mya. I’m here. How about you let her go, then you and I can hash things out?”
“This ain’t Houston, Sheriff. You’re not in charge here.” She backed away from him, turning to point the gun at Laney’s head.
Beau raised his hands, taking a step back. “Whoa, whoa… Mya, take it easy. Whatever you need, just – I’m the one you’re pissed off at. She didn’t do anything to you.”
“Randy didn’t do anything to you, either. You said he was like your brother. He was your partner. And you – you put all those other people, people you didn’t even know, ahead of him. You let him die. He was screaming, they were torturing him, and you left him down there while you saved strangers.” Her eyes were full of tears, the hand holding the gun shaking, and Beau took a slow step forward.
“I have to live with what happened to Randy every day. Damn near destroyed me. It did destroy my family and everything else I had in Houston. It was unforgivable, leaving him down there - but we had no choice. We had to get those people out of there before the gunfire started, or a lot of innocent people wouldn’t have walked away that night.”
“He needed you!”
“I know! I know he did. I also know what the coroner told me. That Randy wasn’t gonna survive, even if they wouldn’t have cut his throat.”
“That’s your story.”
“That’s the truth, Mya. If you remember one thing about me, you should remember I never lied to you.”
She let a little sob escape, tears wetting her face, and she aimed an enraged glare his direction. “We were supposed to be together!” she shouted. “After the case, when it was all over, we were gonna leave Houston, start a new life! And you let him die!”
Beau stared at Laney, willing her to read what was in his mind. He held a hand down at his side, making a little gesture that he hoped she would understand. Her eyes widened a little and she tilted her head to the side, and he gave a little nod, covering it by clearing his throat. Then he took a deep breath and prayed that it would play out the way he hoped. “Mya. Randy wasn’t gonna leave with you.”
“Yes, he was.”
“No, he wasn’t. He told me he screwed up, got too close to you and slept with you. He was my partner, Mya, he told me everything. He felt bad, he did. But he wasn’t gonna leave his wife and kid to run off with his CI. After it happened, he had to keep you happy, keep you in line until it was all over.”
“You’re lying!!” She screamed, moving towards him and swinging the gun his direction, a crazed look in her eyes.
He shot a look Laney’s way, and she heaved her weight sideways, sending her chair crashing to the floor. Mya screeched and turned the gun back towards where Laney had been, and Beau rushed forward, making a flying tackle, his hand clamped around Mya’s wrist to aim the gun towards the ceiling as they fell. He slammed her arm into the floor, and the gun went sliding away as Beau fought to keep her from clawing at his face, finally capturing her hands in one hand and hitting his radio button with the other. “I got her, get in here!”
Poppernak and Jenny came bursting through the door, guns drawn, quickly assessing the situation. Jenny pulled her cuffs from her belt and ran to help Beau while Pops rushed to Laney’s side, pulling out his pocket knife to cut her free. She tore the tape from her mouth, breathing ‘Thank you’ and hugging the big man as he helped her to her feet.
And then Beau was there, wrapping his arms around her and holding her so tight she could barely breathe. She clung to him just as tightly, finally looking up at him as he took her by the shoulders and looked down into her eyes. “Are you okay? She didn’t hurt you?”
Laney shook her head. “No, she didn’t. I’m fine, Beau. I’m okay.”
He took her face in his hands and kissed her, then leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. “Hey,” Laney said softly, waiting for him to look at her again. “I’m okay. We’re all okay. It’s over.” He nodded, finally sending her a soft smile and kissing her again.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Saturday night rolled around, and Beau took the steps at Laney’s house in one leap, bursting in through the door with a grin. “Ready to go?”
“Be right there!” she called out, and Beau’s eyes widened as she sauntered her way around the corner. “Rodeo appropriate?”
He let out a low whistle as he let his eyes roam up and down, taking in her Lucchese cowboy boots, her short denim skirt, cute little t-shirt that said ‘Not my first rodeo,’ and the fawn-colored Stetson perched on top of her hair. She whirled around, blushing a touch at the look in his eyes as he came close, pulling her hard against him with one arm as he swept the hat off with his other hand so he could bend to kiss her.
“Do we have to go?” he asked with a wink, letting his hand drift down to give her tush a little squeeze. “I can think of things I’d rather look at than cowboys gettin’ their asses kicked.”
Laney giggled softly, giving his lips another quick taste. “Yes, we do. We’re meeting everybody, remember? But… maybe… we can take a little walk sometime while everybody’s busy?” she teased. “Unless you end up having to work.”
“Pops is handling things for tonight, unless something really goes to shit, so hopefully I won’t have to worry about it. But I’m gonna hold you to that little walk. Those boots are makin’ me a little crazy.”
She grabbed her hat away from him and plopped it back in place. “What about the hat?”
He shook his head with a muffled growl. “Move your cute little ass, cowgirl, or we still might not make it to that rodeo.” She laughed at him and scooted for the door with Beau right on her heels.
Jenny had saved them a seat, and they settled in between the other two couples. Cormac brought a round of beers for everyone except the two unfortunate law enforcement officers who had to behave just in case they were called to duty, and the bronc riding event kicked off just as he returned. They cheered on the few local boys who were riding, thoroughly enjoying the rowdy atmosphere.
It was just hitting dusk, the lights coming on around the arena when Beau leaned in to whisper in Laney’s ear. “How about that walk you promised?”
She looked up at him, slipping her hand into his as she nodded, her eyes shining. “Yeah. Let’s go before the bull riding starts.”
He laughed. “Never knew you were such a buckle bunny,” he joked, and she smiled up at him.
“Oh, I’ve got all the cowboy I need, mister,” she retorted, standing up with him and telling their friends they’d be right back.
The two of them strolled around, hand-in-hand, chatting with a few people on the way, but Beau slowly led them away from the crowd and out towards the two small horse stables at the edge of the fairgrounds. Most of the rodeo animals were trucked in the day of the show, but the workers usually kept their mounts on the grounds for the duration of the festival.
They walked into one of the buildings, eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. The sweet smell of fresh hay filled the air, and Laney breathed it in with a smile. Beau stopped and took off his hat, then reached for hers, hanging them on two posts on a nearby stall, pulling her inside and kissing her softly. “I’ve been thinking about doing this for hours.”
“You’ve been thinking about it for hours, or you want to do it for hours?” Laney grinned up at him as he made an exaggerated thoughtful expression.
“Would you believe both?” He backed her further into the stall, gesturing behind her with a nod of his head. “Feel like a roll in the hay?” She turned her head, spying the large pile of clean straw taking up the back half of the stall and returning his grin. “One second, that might look great in the movies, but you’ll get scratched all to hell. I saw something out here…” he went back out of the stall, returning with a new horse blanket and clean towel. He tore open the plastic and shook out the blanket, spreading it over the straw, then held out a hand with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
“I feel like I’m about to star in a farmer’s daughter porno,” she laughed, taking his hand.
His eyebrows shot up, his eyes lighting up with his smile. “I can work with that.” He went to one knee in front of her, looking into her eyes as he smoothed his palms up the back of her thighs. “Might as well take these off for a bit,” he said softly, his fingers sliding around and into the waist of her panties. Her breath hitched at his touch, and she took her lip between her teeth as he slipped them down her legs and over her boots, then tucked them into his pocket with a wink.
He kept his eyes on her as he pulled his gun from the holster, laying it down beside the straw, then unfastened his belt and his pants with a smirk that sent a flash of heat through her veins. He moved quickly, gently tackling her onto the blanket, surprising a shocked giggle from her as she landed, his arms propping him up above her. Before she could speak, he bent to kiss her, stealing her words along with her breath.
“Show me what you got on under that shirt, darlin’,” he coaxed in a low rumble, raising up enough to let her pull her shirt up, revealing her white lace bra, her nipples visible and straining against the cloth. He moaned, mumbling, “Damn, woman, you drive me crazy,” before biting down gently on one hard nub and giving it a tug with his teeth as his fingers slipped up beneath her skirt.
She was wet and ready for him, her hips rising up to welcome his fingers, and he wasted no time in shoving his pants down far enough to free his throbbing cock. He filled her slowly, making her whimper as he went deep and held himself there, his lips crashing down on hers once again. She wrapped her legs around him, moaning into their kiss as he bucked into her hard, then hit a steady rhythm, her hips meeting every thrust.
It didn’t take long before she was trembling underneath him, beginning to pulse around him, and just as she was about to lose control, a loud voice echoed through the barn.
“Tyler! You in here?” Footsteps on the concrete floor made them both freeze, and Laney clapped both hands over her mouth to smother the sounds she couldn’t quite control. Beau gritted his teeth, swallowing the groan that was building in his chest as her cunt squeezed him tight,. The footsteps stopped as the man listened, then headed back for the entrance. “Goddamn kid. I’m gonna fire his ass.”
“Fffuck…” Beau grunted as Laney clutched at his back, still arching up into him as she rode out the orgasm she had been unable to stop. She finally stilled, lying quiet for a moment before rolling her head to the side, a soft laugh escaping her lips, and Beau grinned down at her. He began to move again, hard and fast strokes, punching a whine from her as she clamped her legs around him tight again, moaning his name as he came inside her with a soft growl. He kissed her quick and hard, then gazed down at her with a satisfied smile on his face, and she stared up into his shining eyes as she reached to brush his hair off his forehead.
“That was intense,” she breathed, and he nodded with a chuckle.
“Yeah, we almost got caught. Totally worth it, though.”
“Completely.” She pulled him down for another kiss. “But we’d better get back, huh?”
He blew out a breath, reluctantly pulling out and grabbing the folded towel he had appropriated. “Yeah. I’m sure they’re wondering what happened to us.” He helped her clean up and slip her panties back on, then got his clothes and gun back in place before pulling her close for a lingering kiss. They left the blanket and towel behind and grabbed their hats again, walking back towards the arena, once again hand-in-hand.
The bull riding was already in progress when they climbed back to their seats, and Jenny shook her head at Laney. “Where have you two been?”
“We just went for a walk on the grounds,” Laney replied, watching the action in the arena to avoid meeting her friend’s eyes.
“A walk. Right.” Jenny reached to pull a long piece of straw from Laney’s hair, a knowing smirk on her face, and Laney shrugged, ducking her head with a sheepish smile.
“Well, there was walking involved,” she protested and Jenny laughed, bumping their shoulders together. Laney just kept smiling as Beau laced his fingers through hers on the other side.
A few nights later, Laney sat snuggled in Beau’s arms as they watched a movie together, basking in the peace after the hectic week before. He dropped a kiss to her temple and gave her a squeeze with a little sigh.
“What?” she asked, tilting her head to look up at him.
“Oh, nothin’ – I just need to make a run to the trailer. Unless you want to start Naked Sheriff Thursdays around here.”
She laughed. “I’d love Naked Sheriff Thursday, or Friday, or any day you want, actually.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him with an impish gleam in her eyes.
“Yeah, well, nobody else in town would probably agree with you.”
“Oh, I don’t know – Mrs. Ortiz loves to spy on you, so…”
He laughed softly, shaking his head. “Too cold in Montana for that.” Laney waited for a moment, then pulled out of his grasp and climbed aboard his lap to face him, staring into his eyes. “What?”
“I had an idea. I just don’t want you to think you have to, or that I’m putting demands on you.”
“To think I have to what?” He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she smiled a little nervously.
“Well, I’ve been thinking. I mean, you’re here most of the time anyway, and if you just moved in, you wouldn’t have to keep going back to the trailer for clothes and stuff, and I’ve got plenty of closet space. And I talked to Cassie, she said she’s got a little pasture in a spot away from the house, and there’s a well house there so there would be electricity available and you could move the trailer there and we could still have outdoor movie nights when the weather’s good and when it’s not you could just winterize it and then you wouldn’t have to pay for lot rent. And…”
An amused smile was playing on Beau’s lips as she rambled, and he finally put a gentle finger to her lips to stop her. “You want me to move in? Like, my boots and dirty socks all over the place, and my stuff in the bathroom, and no privacy?” She smiled, dropping her eyes for a second before she answered.
“Well, I have a hamper for your dirty socks, and I kinda like your boots all over the place. I like all of your stuff all over the place.” Her smile faded slowly, her expression a little unsure as she looked at him again, biting at her lip before she continued. “I love you, Beau. And I don’t want you to feel like you have to feel the same way yet, but I just wanted you to know.”
His eyes searched hers, his hand raising to her face and his thumb stroking softly over her cheek. “You love me?” She nodded, leaning into his touch, her eyes sparkling a little with unshed tears at the strength of her emotions. He leaned forward to kiss her, his lips clinging to hers as if they never wanted to leave. He pulled back a little to rest his forehead against hers, his voice wavering just a touch as he started to speak. “I guess that makes me just about the luckiest man I know. I love you, too, Laney – so damn much.”
She tilted her face to kiss him again, his thumb catching a happy tear as it escaped down her cheek before she wrapped her arms around him tight, and he held her close as they sat in silence for a few moments, surrounded by each other. When she finally pulled back, she smiled at him with such excitement in her eyes that he laughed.
“What? Better say it before you bust,” he teased.
“I was just gonna say – we should go to the trailer. And pack your stuff.”
“Are you really sure about this? Me moving in?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” She slid from his lap and took hold of his hand, pulling at him. “Come on, boots on, mister!”
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, heading for entryway to follow orders as she slipped her shoes on. He grabbed her as she met him by the door, kissing her breath away, his hands splayed on her back, holding her tight against him. “Maybe we’ll just give that trailer a goodbye christening while we’re at it, huh?”
She grinned in response. “Sounds perfect to me.”
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