Page 14 of Montana Justice

“Nah. She didn’t need to find a mark. She had me. I was dumb enough to fall for the big-eyed sob story myself.”

I waited for the jokes. I wouldn’t blame him. Hell, I could already think of a few myself.

But he didn’t. “You sleep with her?”

I scrubbed my hand down my face. “Yeah.”

The silence stretched longer this time. When Beckett spoke again, his tone had shifted, becoming more careful. “You want to talk about it?”

“Nothing to talk about.”

“Lach—”

“It’s nothing, Beck.” The words came out sharper than I’d intended. “Just a one-night thing. She was passing through, we caught up on old times, and now she’s gone. End of story.”

“Roger that.” Another pause. “On to more important things. You ready to start your first official day as sheriff?”

“Yeah.” And what a way to start—allowing myself to get robbed blind. Wouldn’t that instill confidence in the people trusting me to protect them.

“You’ll do great. Hell, you’ve been doing half Charlie’s job for the past two years anyway. Now you just get the fancy title and the headaches that come with it.”

“Just what I’ve always wanted.”

“Hey, if you need to blow off some steam later, I’m buying drinks. Maybe we can find you a brunette who sticks around longer than twelve hours.”

I think I’d had my fill of taking anyone home. “I’ll let you know.”

“You do that. And dude, whatever happened last night, don’t let it mess with your head on your first day. You’ve got this.”

After I hung up, I stared at the phone for a long moment. Beckett would be worried now, but he wouldn’t push. He’d wait for me to come to him if I needed to talk.

But there was nothing to talk about. I’d made a mistake, trusted someone I shouldn’t have, and paid the price for it.

At just over $300, I’d gotten off cheap.

I walked back upstairs to get ready for work. In the shower—the same shower where she’d kissed me with water streaming down our faces—I tried to wash away the scent of her, the memory of her hands on my body. But some things couldn’t be scrubbed clean.

By the time I was dressed in my uniform and ready to leave for the station, I’d managed to lock down the anger and categorically refused to accept that any of it might be hurt rather than just being pissed off.

Lesson learned.

But as I drove through the quiet streets of Garnet Bend, I couldn’t stop myself from looking for Piper. Scanning the sidewalks, checking the bus stop, wondering if she was still in town or if she’d already moved on to her next target.

I’d probably never know why she’d done it. Why she’d made love to me like it meant something, only to rob me blind before dawn. Why she’d looked at me with such apparent trust and longing if all she’d wanted was my money. And why the fuck I’d been so blind to it all.

What a way to start my career as sheriff.

Chapter 5

Lachlan

The crisp Octobermorning air carried the scent of wood smoke and fallen leaves as I walked down Main Street, making my rounds. A year into the job as sheriff, and I still got a kick out of this part—being visible in the community, checking in with people, making sure they knew their law enforcement was accessible and approachable.

“Morning, Sheriff!” Mrs. Yang called from the doorway of her florist shop. “I just put on a pot of coffee in the back—that dark roast you like. Want a cup?”

“Thanks, Mrs. Yang. Maybe I’ll swing by after I finish my rounds.”

The older woman beamed and disappeared back into her shop, and I continued down the sidewalk. The morning light filtered through the changing leaves, casting everything in warm golden hues. Tourists browsed the antique shops, their cameras clicking as they captured the quintessential small-town charm that had become Garnet Bend’s calling card.

---