Page 60 of Surly Sheriff
“Last chance to back out,” Beau said, double-checking the fasteners on the neoprene life preserver while she pulled her hair into a stubby ponytail.
She shook her head and slipped her sunglasses on. “Ready to go.”
He rubbed the smear of sunscreen on the side of her nose she had missed. And brushed a kiss across her lips. “Good.”
Rae leaned over to free the mooring line, coiled it with quick flicks of the wrist, and hooked it on the aft post. Calling Kismet over, she took position on the padded seating at the bow and secured the dog’s leash to the fore towing post.
His woman and his dog.
The sight warmed his heart. With a smile on his face, Beau adjusted his cap, started the engine, and moved away from the jetty. He headed for the channel, easing off on the throttle, picking up speed. Splitting his focus between the depth marker, the electronic river map, and the actual water ahead, he settled into a groove.
It felt so damned good to have the motion of a boat beneath his feet and the cool breeze, mixed with the occasional spray of water, on his face.
But sharing it with Rae? It took the experience to a heightened level. Half-reclining on the bench with one arm stretched over the RIB collar and her chin resting on her upper arm while watching the riverbank, she looked deep in thought.
What’s going on in your mind, sweetheart?Since that morning when she told him about her grandfather, she’d not mentioned her family again.What happened to your sister? Recovering from years of sexual abuse was a long, hard road. Did she get help and support?
He shook off his heavy thoughts, pulling his concentration back to the river. There was a fair amount of boat traffic and general debris and ravages from previous floods. Downed trees, branches, and logs — the waterlogged ones hulking just below the surface posing the biggest risk. And sandbanks, both natural and manmade.
A whoop sounded from Rae, drawing his attention. She thrust her arms in the air, her head back, and laughed. Hard. Kismet sprang up and broke into a series of barks, moving back and forth on the seat as much as his restraint allowed. She put her arms around the hound and spoke to him, but the wind absorbed her words. Kismet settled down in the corner of the seat, resting his head on the side. She stretched her legs out and rose, reaching down to pat Kismet when he made to follow her. The dog resumed his river-watching pose.
Beau watched Rae walked right up to him, a huge smile on her face.
Slipping one arm around his back and the other around his midriff, she snuggled in. His heart missed a beat, and he reached his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his side. She rested her cheek against his chest, and he dropped a kiss on the top of it. He wished he wasn’t wearing the life jacket. Rae seldom initiated physical contact, and he wanted to feel the curves of her body against his, absorb every inch of her touch.
But still.
The woman he loved was beside him.
He smiled and looked about. The sun seemed brighter, the sky bluer, the river an endless ribbon of sparkles, the trees and fields greener.
Everything was right in his world.
“Thank you,” she whispered as he took the curve of the river.
“For?”
“This.” She waved her arm about.
“Love the water. Love spending time with you. No hardship, Rae.”
Her shoulders shifted under his arm. “And thank you for loving me.”
“Oh, baby.” Could she feel the rapid hammering of his heart even through his thick padding? “Had no say in the matter. You burrowed your way right in and took up residence.”
She lifted her head and gave him a serious look. “You could’ve,should’ve,booted me out a thousand times. I’m hard work.”
“And I’m up for the challenge.” He met her stare with a determined look.
She reached up and planted a kiss on his chin. “Thank you.”
*
“The view is stunning,” Rae said, stepping up to the railing, her back to him. The cabin, situated just past the Iowa state line on the Nebraska side of the river, faced south and afforded them a spectacular view of the lowering sun to their right.
“It is,” he replied. But he wasn’t talking about the scenery.
It was the woman clad in a long-sleeved, pale-blue Henley shirt and dark yoga pants that took his breath away. She wore nothing else. He knew because he’d watched her dress.
