I can’t help but chuckle as I wave her off. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t think that man has ever waited for anything in his life.”
Birdie shakes her head, laughing softly. “You’re right about that.”
I open my mouth to respond when Sheriff Matterson’s booming voice thunders from his office.
“Halstead! Stop flirting with my daughter and get your ass in here.”
I can’t see him from the doorway, but the sharp edge in his voice makes it obvious he’s in one of his moods.
“Guess I’ll see you on the other side,” I deadpan.
“Cheer up, Deputy.” She leans in, her lips brushing against my ear. “Survive this, and I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
She’s fucking sexy when her bold side shows, and I love that she’s beginning to trust me enough to let it out more often. It makes it damn near impossible to focus on anything but her, and I’d give anything to be able to pin her against the nearest wall and kiss her senseless.
And that’s how I end up walking into my boss’s office with a raging hard-on—all thanks to his daughter, who’s under the illusion she’s too awkward to charm a man, but whose pouty mouth says otherwise.
“Shut the door behind you, Halstead.” He nods to the chair in front of his desk. “Take a seat.”
Even leaning casually in his seat, the man radiates power. His peppered hair is neatly trimmed, and a permanent crease between his brows hints at years of scowling. His polished pistol is on his desk within easy reach, a silent reminder of the authority he wields. Until now, I’d managed to avoid getting on his bad side, but I should have known that luck wouldn’t last forever.
“What did you want to talk about, sir?” I ask, breaking the momentary silence.
Sheriff Matterson clears his throat, straightening in his chair. “You have something you want to tell me, son?”
He calls all the deputies “son,” but right now that makes being reprimanded even more uncomfortable. Like I’m back in high school, being lectured by my dad for cow tipping in the middle of the night.
“I’m dating your daughter,” I say, refusing to let my nerves show.
I figure it’s better to rip off the Band-Aid and get this over with, proving I have nothing to hide—even if his impending reaction makes me uneasy.
He strokes his jaw as he studies me. “Is that so? What gives you the right to sneak around withmydaughter behind my back?”
I shift in my seat, resting my hand on my knee. “With all due respect sir, Birdie’s an adult.” He sends me a glare, but I press on. “She wanted to take things slow and wait before we told anyone, and I honored her request.”
“Even if it meant pissing me off? Your boss,” he retorts.
“Birdie comes first. Always.” I say it with my full chest.
He leans forward, his brow tightening as he watches me. “Is that why you destroyed the video footage of Birdie at the county fair—to protect her?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Mason claims he had proof she snuck onto the fairgrounds and stole that donkey and cow last summer—and somehow the evidence disappeared after you clocked in the morning after he brought her in.” His jaw tightens when he mentions Birdie, no doubt picturing her in a jail cell.
“Like I told Mason, I’ve been a deputy here for six years and have never once given you a reason to doubt me. If you’d rather take the word of a man who made your only kid spend a night in lockup, be my guest.” I lean back in my chair, arms draped overthe armrests. “Far as I’m concerned, he never had proof to begin with—he just saw an opportunity to revive a year-old case and score some brownie points.”
I’ll take the truth to my grave. Protecting Birdie was the right call, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Wherever those animals are now, they’re far better off than being auctioned at that fair, which makes it easy to sleep at night.
Sheriff Matterson doesn’t respond right away. He reaches for the pen on his desk and rolls it slowly between his fingers. Every few seconds his gaze flickers to his pistol and back to me. It’s intimidating as fuck, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me rattled.
When he finally does speak, his voice is measured and calm. “I guess thanks are in order.”
I tilt my head, frowning. “Sir?”
“You looked after Birdie in my absence, and I owe you for that. If not for you, Mason probably would have sent her to county without even speaking with me first.”
My grip tightens on the armrests as images of what could’ve happened flash through my mind. “He’s damn lucky he didn’t.”
