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“I’m over here,” Jenny called over her shoulder while gesturing vaguely down the street towards her truck parked a block away.
“Okay,” Beau answered just loud enough for her to hear. A reflexive response he used frequently but mostly to just let her know he was following her as he stepped out onto the street from the Dewell and Hoyt office.
Not that she needed him to say anything. She could normally sense him whenever he was behind her like some looming solid presence and it annoyed her to no end. It had been like this since he first showed up at the station. Cassie had initially warned her and he did come across as very Texas at first glance. Tall, broad shouldered and with all the obvious mannerisms that screamed “Texas” from the “Darlin’s” down to his bow-legs. He even sauntered and wore a cowboy hat, for crying out loud, and it turned all of Jenny’s warning bells into sirens.
The only thing that was going in his favor on that first day was the sole knowledge that Tubb had requested him as Acting Sheriff. She had walked into the middle of Beau charming the bullpen of Deputies, including her partner, and suddenly worried that he would actually turn out to be an obstacle instead of a help. She had neither the patience nor the desire to politic her way around him if he turned out to be the former.
But he backed her play that day, as he said he would. For the rest of that afternoon, as they raced from one end of the county to the other chasing Travis, she sensed him behind her. He paused briefly in the threshold when they had arrived to speak to Ren Bhullar making sure to fill the doorway and not-so-subtly checking the room before placing himself between her and Ren’s lapdog, Donno. Quickly asserting himself in his position as Sheriff not only by physically dropping Donno with a punch to the throat but by threatening to lock Ren up. Jenny had been slightly impressed that Beau had read the situation and the two people so quickly.
His message was clear and straight out of Texas. I won’t be intimidated and I won’t tolerate your crap.
It had been the same when they had finally caught up with Travis. Beau had been a steady presence behind her and he had always been where she expected him to be, covering her back and her blind spots, as they had tracked Travis across the scrub. So, when she ultimately lied to his face and let Travis go later, she actually felt truly bad. But then again, why would it really matter? In the end, he wasn’t staying. He was out as soon as Tubb was fit for duty again.
Then reality set in and Tubb was not returning any time soon. Being shot twice in such a short span of time was complicating his recovery and concerning to everyone. Under Beau’s leadership and determination to keep everyone moving forward, the department settled quickly into a routine. Everyone seemed to take to the new sheriff but Jenny could tell he was trying too hard.
He was annoyingly affable. He was turning on the charm way more than necessary. His good humor seemed forced sometimes. He went out of his way to make sure to listen to input. He was relaxed, within reason, with all the administrative paperwork and deadlines making sure to never micromanage anyone. He was a walking, talking stereotype of Southern Charm.
And he talked.
He talked a lot.
He talked a lot about everything that wasn’t important unless it was related to work or to his daughter. Some days it was more amusing but Lord help all of them if she let Poppernak and Beau go at it for more than a few minutes. Jenny had arrived at the office one morning to an apparently thriving conversation about the migratory patterns of the Red-Naped Sapsucker which had been going on for long enough to have every other deputy in the bullpen looking towards her to intervene.
But underneath the affable charm, Jenny could sense the buffer zone he was hanging up between himself and everyone else as intensely as she could tell whenever he entered the room. He knew he wasn’t staying either.
She was fine with it, Jenny reminded herself. The sooner everything got back to normal, the better.
They reached her truck and she checked the street for oncoming traffic before moving toward the driver’s side. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Beau checking the street as well. A ripple of annoyance started behind her eyes promising to blossom into a headache. It was too early for this and she normally tried to just avoid him whenever and wherever possible.
Thankfully, it wasn’t that far of a drive to the office.
Beau climbed into the passenger seat next to her. As Jenny started the truck, she could see him look around taking in all the store fronts and flowering greenery that was downtown Helena in summer. There was a glint in his eyes as if he were seeing his surroundings for the first time. She could practically hear the gears turning over in his brain and suppressed an annoyed sigh.
Maybe if she turned on the radio he wouldn’t talk.
end.