Page 116 of Surly Sheriff
A woman stood in the doorway. One Rae took a mere moment to recognize. “Kat,” she whispered, dropping her arm.
“Inessa.”
Rae wrinkled her nose. Using her sister’s former name had been instinctive. “My bad. That’s not us anymore.”
“Definitely not,” her sister —Felicity— said wryly.
The import of the moment washed over Rae, but she refrained from flinging herself into her sister’s arms. The years of silence still stung, and she wouldn’t be able to handle the rejection if Felicity spurned her embrace.
Rae focused on Beau. Or rather, she tried, but her eyes were smarting. “You know,” she murmured, blinking hard, overwhelmed that the three people she loved most in the world were under the same roof. And that Beau now knew the last secret she had kept from him.
Beau nodded and moved closer, cupping her face. “I do.” He brushed his thumbs across her cheeks. The light touch of his lips to her forehead opened the floodgates. “Ah, Rae. Damn, baby, you’re killing me,” he ground out, pressing her face to his shoulder, smoothing his hands over her shoulder.
The plastic from the radio mic dug into her cheek, but she didn’t care. Like last night, she relished the feel of his warm hands rubbing her back and his familiar scent and his soothing murmurs and—
And she was a blubbering fool.
And holy heavens, hersisterwas here.
And Beau needed to get on with his day and tell poor Ethel Long how her husband died.
She pulled away and batted her fingers across her face. “Sorry,” she muttered, sniffing. “You’ve got stuff to do.”
“You’re more important.”
Gah.“Why’re you being soniceto me?”
“You’re not alone, Rae. Not anymore. I’ve got your back. And” — he placed his finger under her chin, tipping her face up and to the side — “you’ve got your sister.”
Felicity hadn’t moved from her position in the doorway.
She couldn’t. Xena blocked her path.
“Maybe you should tell Xena that Felicity is a friend,” Beau said, humor lacing his voice.
“I’d appreciate that,” Felicity added in a wry tone.
Rae managed a shaky laugh and introduced her dog to her sister.
27
Mending fences
Rae placed the tray containing the cold chicken cuts beside the potato and green salad on the wrought-iron table. She pulled out one of the matching chairs and sat to watch her son kick a soccer ball with his dad in the back garden. The picture was surreal, one she had often imagined, but reality surpassed her dreams.
She and her sister had started the road to restoring their relationship.
Beau and Jack were deepening their bond.
And although she did not anticipate her and Beau ever repairing the damage she had caused by leaving, they were forging a way forward to a new normal as parents.
If only she didn’t have the upcoming trial hanging over her head, life would be good.
“Momma,” Jack called out, running up to her. “Mister Beau said I’m a very good kicker.”
“Did he now?” she murmured, finger-combing the sweaty hair from his forehead, mentally making a note to take him for a haircut this coming week.
“Uh huh.”
