Page 40 of Surly Sheriff
Armed with the order, he climbed the steps to the front door. The commotion — a dog barked, and a kid shouted — following his knock gave him pause.
A kid?
He frowned. Had his deputy gotten the address wrong?
A woman’s voice reached him. He couldn’t hear what she was saying, but the dulcet tone belonged toher.
Rae. His nemesis.
And she had a kid. A kid!
Anger, fresh and strong, whipped through him.
The door opened.
And she stood before him again. His gaze raked over her. Hair tied in a ponytail. Loose blue shirt, falling off one shoulder, revealing a black strap. Black yoga pants. Feet bare, toes painted a pale pink. She looked simply lovely.
“Beau.”
“A kid?” He leaned in, thrusting his face right up to hers. “Youdarereturn. With akid?” he bit out.
Color drained from her face, emphasizing the dark smudges beneath her eyes he’d missed noticing earlier.
A large Rottweiler appeared at her side, issuing a low and threatening growl. She moved her hand in front of the dog’s head. The growling stopped, but the dog remained on alert.
“Momma?”
Beau shifted his gaze and focused on the kid.
A boy. Dark blond hair, rich brown eyes.
About four, if he had to hazard a guess.
Four?
His blood chilled, and his gaze shot to hers.
Rae held his accusing stare for a beat before moving into action. She grabbed the items from his hand and turned to the kid. “Jack, take the food and go to the kitchen with Xena. Stay there.”
Jack. The boy’s name wasJack?
The kid took hold of the food but kept looking at Beau. “Who’re you?”
“Now, Jack,” she snapped, placed her hands on his shoulders, and turned him, nudging him along. “Xena. Go with Jack.” After a quick but curious glance over his shoulder, the boy trudged away with the dog at his side.
Rae turned back to Beau and shoved him out of the doorway. She stepped out after him, closing the door. “We need to talk. But not now and most definitely not here.”
“Here and now is good for me.”
“Be reasonable.”
“Reasonable?Reasonable,” he barked. “You waltz into town almost five years after leaving without an explanation,without a goodbye, and you expect me to bereasonable?”
“Look, we do need to talk. But please, Beau, not where Jack can hear.”
“The boy your son?”
She squared her shoulders. “Yes,” she whispered.
