Page 14 of Surly Sheriff
She closed the trunk and stepped back. “I freelance,” she offered. “Work as I go.”
And if she were sensible, she’d load everything back in Esmeralda and continue her journey.
But Raegan had controlled her life for too long.
It was time for Rae-Rae to breathe a little bit of normal.
4
Rae-Rae
Waking after a solid sleep, Rae couldn’t recall her whereabouts for a moment. But yesterday’s events tumbled back in, and she pushed up on her arms, scanning her surroundings. The spacious room Bella had shown her was heavenly, done out in soothing shades of green. A far cry from the series of motels and hotels from the past weeks.
Sunlight streamed in, beckoning her. She slid from the bed and padded across the carpeted floor, pushed open a window, and peered into the garden below.
A stunning view greeted her.
Beau.
Her heart skipped a beat.
AshirtlessBeau, executing a warmup — cool down? — routine on the lawn, his muscles stretching and bulging in the soft morning light.
It was a sight to behold.
And she drank her fill.
He looked up. Their gazes clashed.
Sun glinted off the chain draped around his neck. She followed the silver line to the dog tags lying against his chest.
Hmm. She’d like to lay her head there, too, and run her fingers over his pecs, through the spattering of short hair.
He smiled, tipping up the brim of his cap. “Morning.”
She grinned back. “Hi,” she returned. And cursed her breathless voice.
“I’m going for a run. Join me?”
“Not a chance.”
“Chicken.”
She shook her head. “Just realistic. But enjoy.”
“I will. See you in a while?”
“I’ll be here.”
“Good.” He pulled a dark tank top over his head, and with a wave, he jogged to the side of the house and disappeared from her view.
A sense of loss washed over Rae, but she shook the feeling off and moved away from the window. After a brief visit to the attached bathroom, she dressed in the jeans from yesterday and a fresh rose-pink tee and made her way down the stairs, in search of coffee.
Time to plan the next phase of her travels.
It was futile thinking about thewhat ifswith a certain hunky man.
Besides, Beau was starting a new job with the sheriff’s office next week. Becoming involved with someone in law enforcement was looking for trouble. And allowing the man to creep deeper into her heart was foolish.
