Page 9 of Tempting Fate

Beau

I’m notone to wait around. After I leave the state park, I go to the police station and wait for Captain Reece to get back from the hospital.

“Beau, what are you doing here?” He asks, surprised to see him in his office.

“Figured we could have that talk now if you had a few minutes.”

Captain Reece looks at his watch and then nods at me. “Come on in.”

Before he has a chance to say anything I start. “I’m falling in love with your niece. I’m going to marry her. While I don’t need your permission, I know it would mean everything to her if you approved.”

“Marry her? You just met her for fuck sakes!”

“I know it’s crazy. I knew it when she walked up to me in her salon Friday night.”

“You’re telling me that in three days you know you want her for the rest of your life?”

I nod. “She’s everything I wasn’t even looking for. She fills that empty part of my soul with her brightness. She’s special and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her. I’m in love with her.”

Captain Reece’s eyes go wide and whistles low. He takes a seat at his desk and looks at me, weighing his words carefully. “What if she doesn’t feel the same way about you?”

“She does. She wouldn’t have broken that stupid rule you have in place about not dating officers.”

He starts laughing, getting louder and louder the longer he keeps laughing. “She told you about that? I didn’t even know that she knew about it.”

I sit down in one of the seats in front of his desk. “She did. Why is it so funny?”

“She was young and had already been through a lot. I don’t know if she told you, but my wife and I raised her as our own when her parents died.”

“She did.”

He nods. “I had a lot of young officers on the force at the time and I didn’t need them dicking around with her, breaking her heart. You know how stupid men can be in their early twenties. I knew I couldn’t enforce it, but they were young and stupid, wanting to impress me. As far as I know, it kept the guys away and Charlotte was able to focus on building her life.”

“So you don’t have a problem with me dating Charlotte?”

“Dating her? No, I don’t have a problem with that Beau. You’ve got your head on straight and you’re a good man. Maybe give it some time before marrying her though?” He asks and reaches his hand out to shake mine.

“I can’t promise you that, but I’ll try.” I answer, shaking his hand.

He shakes his head at me and tells me good luck as I leave his office.

Leaving the station, I go home trying to figure out what I need to do about Charlotte. It pisses me off that she was willing to let us go if her uncle wanted her to. At the same time, I can understand not wanting to lose another parent.

She might not think we’re together at this point. Hell, we’ve only been out on one date. In my mind, she’s all mine and I need her to know it. I decide to drop Thor off at home before driving over to Charlotte’s place to talk to her.

I’m surprised when I pull up and see her Jeep parked in my driveway and Charlotte sitting on my front porch steps. She stands when I park and waits for me. Getting out of my truck, I walk up to her as she stands. “How did you know where I live?”

“It’s a small town Beau, people talk,” She says shrugging her shoulder.

“Right. I keep forgetting what it’s like to live here again. Are you okay? What are you doing here?”

She studies my face and for a moment I fear she’s going to try and walk away. “I needed to tell you something.”

I nod and wait for her to continue.

She breathes out a long breath. “I need you to know that I don’t care what my Uncle Nolan says. You were right before. When you asked me what I would do if he said we couldn’t be together, I panicked. But what I wanted to say was I want to be with you no matter the consequences.”

“Is that right?” I ask, a grin forming on my face.

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