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daughterofcain-67 · 5 months

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𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 (epilogue)

(Beau Arlen x Female Reader)

(masterlist)

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: After the court case was finally over and things are finally returning to normal, the sheriff comes back into your cafe just like normal and with the help of your nosey but well-meaning sister, she helps nudge Beau along to ask you out now that the case is over.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: none, just fluffy Beau x Reader content 💕

Eight Months Later…

This was it.

This was the day that would determine if Andre would be getting off Scott-free or if he would be serving his time behind bars.

You hated that you had to be there as a witness. You hated that you had to describe everything that happened, describe the people who kidnapped you. What was worse was that Andre's lawyers did their best to make you out to be a liar, saying that your judgement may be impaired for whatever their reasons were.

The case seemed to take ages and you couldn't believe it was this long of an ordeal to even get court dates settled.

Now here you were, in the booths with the other families whose lives were ruined by the defendant. But Beau was right there beside you just like he had always been through this mess. He was waiting in anticipation with you, anxious to find out the jury's verdict.

You had just been called back into the court room a few minutes ago since the jurors were apparently done making their decision. When you saw them coming back into the room, you and everyone else in the courtroom stood as a part of courtroom etiquette. Though, you carefully held Beau's hand, which he squeezed a little. He seemed just as nervous as you were, despite his confident exterior.

God it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop after the jurors were all settled in their spots.

"Has the jury reached their verdict?" You heard the voice of the judge say.

"We have, your honor."

"And it's unanimous, correct?"

"Yes, Sir, it is."

Then the clerk walked over to the first juror and was handed the file before making their way back to the judge. When the judge said everyone could be seated, the room went back to being silent as he looked through the paper.

Now it all came down to this, what was on those sheets of paper that the jury handed over. It was like the entire room was holding their breath if they weren't glaring at the defendant.

When the judge said that the defendant would rise and face the jury, the judge handed the sheets back to the court clerk so she could make the final announcements.

"The state of Montana verses Andre Bolkonsky," The clerk began to read.

One by one as each of the charges were called out, Andre was guilty to a certain extent of the law if not completely guilty. He was partially guilty of your kidnapping since he orchestrated it, and of course he was guilty of your assault in the fullest.

When you heard the verdict you couldn’t help but feel this immense weight fall off of your shoulders. Yet a part of you wondered if this was really happening and if this was your reality, or if this was some kind of really good dream that you would have to wake up from just to return to some harsh reality.

“Beau…”

He looked down at you and he had a smile on his face, “It’s real, Y/N. He’s going away for good.”

That reassurance was everything you needed in that moment and you threw your arms around the sheriff, hugging him so tightly.

It was finally over and you could hardly believe it!

Morning Glory Coffee…

You never thought you would be able to come back here again. It felt so surreal to have even been able to open this place up again since your kidnapping. But now you were back in the building, bright and early and it’s been about two weeks since the trial ended.

You and Cadence were both there at the shop to straighten everything up so you can open. You brewed some fresh coffee and baked some goodies before putting them on the display table. That was when a pleasant little surprise came up.

The sound of the bell on the top of the door rang out as the door opened up. When you looked over, you saw Beau Arlen standing there.

“You’re here early.” You grinned at him and you could watch a smile begin to form on his face.

“Well, I did miss having your coffee everyday.” The sheriff said, causing you to roll your eyes, grinning at him.

“Just the coffee huh? Let me guess, the usual?”

“Actually… I think I might go with something different this time around.” Beau said as he walked closer to the counter.

“Something different… well if you still want to go with the bitter kind of taste, there’s the Americano, and some cold brew. Or if you’s like something a little sweeter I can make you a mocha, maybe a frappuccino or something like that.”

“I may go with something a little on the sweeter side.” He said and you hummed a little.

“I think we can go with a caramel macchiato.” You nodded and Beau chuckled.

“Whatever you think I’ll like.” He told you.

Beau watched as you started making the espresso and whatever else you needed to make the drink with some ridiculous name. Aren’t all coffees made the same anyway? He supposed that he wouldn’t know for sure. But he knew that he was glad that you were back.

From the corner of his eye, Beau saw Cadence standing in the corner with a certain sort of look on her face. She glanced at her sister that was busily making Beau a drink before she walked over to the sheriff.

“What are you waiting for? She went through something terrible and you were right there by her side through the trials.” Cadence told him in a whisper so you wouldn’t hear anything.

“What do you mean what am I waiting for?” Beau questioned and Cadence rolled her eyes before she reached over and flicked Beau on the forehead with her middle finger.

“Hey! What was that for?” Beau asked and rubbed his forehead.

“You know exactly what I mean, don’t play dumb.” Cadence said.

“I was an idiot for suggesting that she go and date Andre. And I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. But you know what else? I regret not encouraging her to go out with you more. She’s had feelings for you for such a long time but she’s never made a move because she doesn’t want to distract you from your work.”

Beau lifted a brow slightly. You actually had feelings for him? Then again, before you were taken, you did owe him a date since she rain-checked. Did he actually stand a chance with you?

“Are you sure that she wants to actually date someone right now after everything that’s happened?” Beau asked.

“Beau, she’s had her struggles long before Andre even came around. She just went on that date with Andre to try and move on before the date obviously went wrong.” Cadence said but when she looked over she saw that you were almost done making Beau’s beverage.

“Make a move, like ASAP! I want to be an aunt before I die and I want her to be with the right guy.” She said before she went to the back to go and prep something for the day before some other customers would end up coming in later.

Beau looked over at you and smiled a little to himself. There was a glimmer of hope burning in him and it made him wonder if Cadence was telling the truth about you having feelings for him. How long were they there?

“Hey, is something on your mind?”

Your question seemed to make Beau jump and you were a little worried. Was something wrong? Was there another case that he was stressing over? You wished that he could get even a little bit of a break.

You watched as Beau tucked his bottom lip in between his teeth and he looked as if he wanted to talk to you about something, “Actually, there was something I kind of wanted to ask you about.”

“Um… okay?” You said and handed him the drink.

“Do you remember when I missed movie night and you said that maybe I should make it up to you?” In truth, you almost didn’t remember with everything that happened but when you thought about it, you remembered.

“It’s been a while since that rain check, huh? Literally months and I think you’ve made up for it since then.” You chuckled a little but leaned over the counter, curious as to how this came to his mind.

“Yeah, I know it’s been several months… But maybe we could still go out and find something to do. I insist. So are you free tonight?” He asked you as he leaned over as well.

You bit your lip a little. The same feeling that you had when you wondered if the court case with Andre was over had returned, causing you to wonder if Beau was really asking if you were free or not.

“Um.. y-yeah. I should be free.” You answered.

A certain softness seemed to flicker in those beautiful, forest green eyes of his. It made you feel warm on the inside and you were almost certain that you could kiss him in that moment.

“Great. I’ll come and pick you up after work.” He insisted, you nodded in response before watching him stand up and leave.

As he walked out of the door, you smiled fondly to yourself. You never thought that you could feel this happy again. Granted you couldn’t just pretend that everything that transpired with Andre never happened, but it was easier to move past all of it because of Beau. Things were at least beginning to go back to normal other than the nightmares you had. He was always there to comfort you when you needed him .

“Okay, Y/N.. stop daydreaming and help me stock up some cups and lids and everything. If you want to get off early for your big date with the sheriff, I need a little help making sure everything’s in line while the owner’s away.” Your sister reminded you, causing your cheeks to turn pinkish.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re behind him saying something?”

“Hey, he was already going to do that anyway. He just needed a little push in the right direction. And Sheriff Arlen is a guy we can actually trust this time.”

Five o’clock finally came around which meant that it was time for you to get ready for Beau to pick you up.

You were in the back after you had taken your apron off and you placed it in your little locker. You were looking at the camera on your phone, trying to fix up your hair and freshen up a bit. Cadence was leaning against one of the tables in the back just smiling at you since there weren’t any customers at the moment.

“You know, I don’t think he’s going to be too worried about how your hair looks. He knows you’re a working woman.” She reminded you and you shrugged a little.

“I know.” You sighed, “It’s just that I don’t want to mess this up. After everything that’s happened, he still remembered about missing some movie night? We’ve had plenty of those over the past eight months after he got me back.”

“Sweetie, of course he was going to ask you if you wanted him to actually make up for it. You can be a bit naive when it comes to him, can’t you?” Your sister laughed, making you wonder what about this was so amusing but you didn’t really want to question it.

“I guess I’m just shocked for whatever reason.”

“Well don’t let it shock you. You like him, and he likes you enough to ask you out. So enjoy tonight and see where this goes. You know he’s not going to hurt you and these past several months have only proved that point. You deserve happiness and you deserve to have that happiness with someone that will stop at nothing to make sure you have it. And obviously Beau is that person.”

It surprised you how obvious Cadence made it sound, but you supposed she was right. Maybe you were overthinking about something here and you just needed to relax and enjoy whatever moments that you would have with Beau that night. You were sure Beau needed some time to relax as much as you did, so maybe this really would be good for the both of you.

“Anyway, I still want to look halfway decent instead of going on some kind of, whatever this is, in my uniform shirt.” You said but then you heard the sound of a locker door opening up. When you glanced over and saw Cadence going through her locker.

“You are so lucky that I’m prepared.” Cadence chuckled, “But you need to start packing some little outfits to wear incase this becomes a regular thing with the sheriff.” She smirked and wiggled her brows a bit.

You smiled and rolled your eyes a little but then your sister pulled out two shirts for you to pick from. When you did, she handed the shirt to you.

“Now don’t let him tear it up or anything. I like that shirt.” Cadence smirked and your entire face turned red as you clutched the shirt close to you.

“W-We aren’t gonna do anything like that on the first outing!”

“Oh for the love of- Y/N, it’s a date! Call it a date before I strangle you!”

“Okay, we won’t be doing stuff like that on the first date.” You insisted and the biggest smile appeared on your sister’s face when she heard you call it a date after all.

“Okay, okay. Now go change! He’ll be here any minute.” Cadence practically shoved you out of the back so you could change in the rest room and finish getting ready.

After a few minutes, you had now changed into a more comfortable shirt and it actually fit your figure quite well. You put on a denim jacket over it since that was what you wore to work with the uniform, and you pulled your hair into a side, French braid. You were glad your sister trained you to pack a little tube of mascara and some gloss for spontaneous moments like this. It was simple and you preferred simple anyway.

When you stepped out you saw that Beau was just coming into the cafe and you smiled when you saw him.

“Hey. You’re right on time.” You grinned and he looked over at you. He smiled warmly and you could feel the butterflies in your stomach.

“You look nice. I like that shirt on you.”

“Thanks.. it’s my sister’s.” You admitted and you looked over towards the back to wave goodbye to Cadence, and Beau did the same. She waved back at the two of you before Beau looked down at you.

“You ready to head out?”

“I think so.” You nodded and he offered an arm for you to take. Once you took it he escorted you out of the door and took you to the car.

It was still around the time where it would get darker a little earlier in the day, and Beau ended up taking you to some place for dinner. They had some tables outside and it was a pretty night so that’s where you sat. There were several square tables outside and there were some lights strung out on the patio. Then in one corner, evidently there was a local band playing too.

“You must’ve known they’d be playing when you brought me here.” You said and Beau placed one hand up in the air.

“No clue. Swear that this was a surprise for me too.” He insisted and he pulled out a chair for you so you could sit down. Then he sat across from you.

You gazed at him and saw that he was looking down at the menu. You took the time to observe and admire the way he looked and appreciate the small details. Like the way his freckles showed up a little better with this lighting, or the way his hair was falling in front of his face when he was looking down at the menu.

When a waitress came by you got distracted and you looked up when she was asking you and Beau what you’d like to drink. You just ordered a water while Beau ordered his favorite beer. Then she left to get the drinks for the both of you and that was when you looked over at Beau again, who you caught gazing at you too.

“Thank you… for taking me out tonight.” You said and he grinned.

“No need to thank me. It’s something that I wanted to do.” He said but then he rubbed the back if his neck a little, “Actually it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now.”

“Well…” You trailed off and decided to make kind of a bolder move and you placed a hand on his that was on the table, “I’m glad that you did.”

He maneuvered his hand to where he could hold your own and it felt like your hand fit perfectly in his.

“How did everything go today?” You asked him, trying to start some sort of conversation and he smiled a little.

“It was an easier day. Luckily we’ve not had anymore kidnapping cases. We had a few house calls but it was nothing too serious. Just nosey neighbors calling because a radio was too loud or a dog was barking and annoying them. Nothing overly serious.”

“Well… at least it was an easier day.”

“Yeah, although there were some case files that we haven’t had any leads on that ended up going cold. I hate they did.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair but you gave him an empathetic smile.

“Well, some cold cases don’t stay cold forever. Somewhere down the line people slip up and sometimes those cold cases get re-opened.” You reminded him.

“Yeah but that doesn’t happen often enough.”

“Cut yourself some slack. I know you hate when cases get cold, but there’s always hope.”

You could hear the little scoff he made and he looked down at the menu again but you gave your hand a gentle squeeze, “You taught me there’s always hope.”

He looked up at you again before you spoke again, “The FBI had been chasing after Andre and his group for a long time. And even if some of those members got caught, they didn’t serve time for long. They thought for sure that they could get away with me and get me out of the country and for a moment, every part of me thought they would be right.”

“But..?”

“But even when I was so close to giving up, I would think about you. How your determination would drive you and I knew somehow you’d find me, even if it would take a while. If you can persevere, then I knew I could too and I needed to figure out how to get out and think of what you would do in some of the situations I was in.” You told him.

Beau listened carefully to what you were saying and he was a little stunned. He had no idea he would be on your mind to help you fight back like that. You were a strong individual and he was so proud of you for taking that risk of screaming out on that phone call. He was proud when you somehow managed to get a phone and call him.

“You know… I think you may be a lot stronger than I am.” He admitted but he carefully intertwined your fingers.

“But you’re right. Those cold cases, I know, will be in the back of my mind and someone will slip up eventually like Andre’s group did.” He said but then he decided to move on.

“What about you? I’m sure your sister’s glad that you’ve been back. How’s your day been?”

“It was a little slow today. But it does get pretty slow on week days since a lot of people are working.” He heard you speak and he grinned a little.

“I suppose that’s fair.” He smiled.

“But I can’t complain. The downtime is nice. I’ve actually been thinking about changing up the interior of the cafe. So the downtime gives me some time to think about some of the interior designs.” You said with a smile, gosh your smile was so adorable to him.

“Well if you ever need any help when the time comes, you know you can always give me a call.” Beau insisted.

“I think I might keep that in mind.” You smirked, then the waitress came back with your drinks and she took both of your orders.

Beau ended up getting a burger and you got some sort of salad.

After a while of conversation and after the both of you had eaten your meals, Beau heard the band start to play some sort of slow song that he didn’t really know by heart, but he saw some couples going up there to dance

Then Beau had an idea and he stood up, which caused you to look up at him.

“What are you doing?” You asked him and he just grinned at you.

“Come on up there with me.” He said and you lifted a brow a little.

“You sure? I might step on your toes a bit.” You chuckled a little and he rolled his eyes playfully.

“Of course I’m sure.” He insisted and he took a hold of your hand and started leading you to the floor where some other people were dancing.

Then, Beau placed a hand on your hip and he could feel one of your hands on his shoulders while the two of you were close together. He lead you to the rhythm of the song that was playing as you danced and he swore this would be one of the moments with you that he would always have in his mind.

You looked so beautiful, with the way your hair framed your face perfectly or the way the lights seemed to shine in your eyes so beautifully. You were perfect in his eyes in every way and he didn’t think he’d be spending a moment like this with you. He supposed he needed to thank your sister for giving him that push.

He could feel your hand move from his shoulder to his cheek. Your touch felt so soft and he leaned into it before he ended up giving you a little twirl as you both danced, your laughter filled his ears when he pulled you back into him. Then he leaned down and kissed the top of your head softly.

“Why don’t we go back to my place? Tonight’s the perfect night to have a little fire or something.” He suggested and you nodded.

“I think that sounds perfect.”

After a while, you realized that the two of you had made it to Beau’s little camper and when he opened the door for you, Beau held out a hand to help you out of the vehicle. When you got out, the two of you went inside of the camper.

“Here, let me help you.” You insisted and you grabbed whatever he needed you to get but that was when the both of you heard some faint tapping on the window.

When the both of you looked out, you saw that it was starting to rain, but then you heard the thunder in the distance.

“I guess the fire pit might have to wait.” Beau said with a chuckle but then you smiled while you gazed at the raindrops, starting to get lost in your own thoughts.

“Y/N? You okay?”

“Hm? Yeah, just thinking about something.” You said and you felt his hand on the small of your back.

“Care to share?”

You carefully leaned into him, feeling his chest on your back, “I was just thinking about that night..."

"The night in the woods?"

"Mhmm," You hummed fondly, "It was raining and you carried me to the car because you realized I wasn't wearing any shoes. I swear I thought my toes were going to fall off because it was so cold." You laughed.

"I was just glad that we got you home." He said.

"I was so tempted to kiss you that night..." Then you swore you could feel his muscles tense a little, but they soon relaxed as you looked up at him.

"You wanted to kiss me that night?" he asked and your cheeks started to heat up a bit as you looked out of the window.

"I-I mean, um... maybe." You said bashfully.

"I guess looking back on it, it would have been some silly little movie moment and I know chick flick moments might not be your thing. Kissing in the rain or something like that is so juvenile..." You rambled on before you suddenly felt Beau take your hand and he started taking you outside.

"Beau? What are you doing?" You laughed.

"Something that I should have done a long time ago." You heard him say but then the two of you went outside and luckily the rain wasn't pouring too hard just yet.

When Beau stopped walking, he stood in front of you and you could feel his soft yet slightly calloused hand touch your cheek.

"Y/N... I've known for a long time now what my feelings were for you... And I should have done something about it long before now." He said and you placed one of your hands on his shoulder again.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I let my job get in the way. Because I thought you wouldn't want to take a chance with me. And because of stupid reasons that don't really matter. But I know that the moment you went missing, I couldn't bare the thought of losing you. Then when the trials happened there was so much going on and I didn't want to complicate anything. So I wanted to wait until the court dates were over and when we knew for sure Andre would be gone for good."

"And what about now? Since all of it is over?" You asked in a slightly hushed tone.

"Now... there's nothing else for me to wait for." He said and he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Then both of his hands were on your face and he leaned down and kissed you.

The wave of adrenaline rushed through you but then you melted into his touch and closed your eyes. His kiss was so warm and sweet, enough to make you feel light headed as you kissed him back. You could feel the rain hitting you and it was cool in contrast to the closeness between you and Beau.

Your hand went from his shoulder to the back of his neck and he tilted his head, deepening the kiss. This was so worth the wait, and you couldn't dream of a better moment. You fell so hard for this man, and knowing that he felt the same way for you made you feel happier than you've been in such a long time.

When Beau pulled away, your foreheads were pressed against each other. He had taken your breath away and you were trying to remember how to form words.

"I love you, Y/N L/N..."

Those words, even if they came a bit sooner than you expected, were the very words you had wanted to tell him for the longest time.

"I love you too, Beau Arlen."

And from there, you knew that the two of you would spend a lifetime that you had always dreamed of having. You knew that this would be something that not even the best fairy tale could match, and the rest of your life would be spent with the man that meant the world to you.

Your heart was his, and his was yours, forever intertwined and maybe even entangled for eternity.

Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this Beau x Reader fanfiction and it was such a joy to write! Thank you to all of you who commented, reblogged, and liked. It's truly appreciated.

Tag List:

@deans-spinster-witch @roseblue373 @chriszgirl92 @nancymcl @fanfic-n-tabulous @globetrotter28

#jensen ackles #sheriff beau arlen #beau arlen ff #beau arlen x yn #big sky beau arlen #jensen ackles beau arlen #beau arlen x female reader #beau arlen x you #beau arlen x reader #beau arlen #jesnen ackles big sky #jensen big sky #big sky fanfiction

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marvelwitchergilmore · 1 year

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Last Minute Customer

Summary; Beau Arlen x Reader -> When you’re closing up the store for the evening, you have one final customer.

Warning; Pure fluffy fluff, books, bookstore and snow.

Snow had been constantly falling for the last 6 weeks. At first, it was light and melted almost as fast as it had come. But now it was 3ft high and sent everyone into a tizzy over being able to walk.

Why you hadn't moved out of Montana by now, you didn't know. You could have gone anywhere. California, maybe? New York? Perhaps Seattle.

But no. You had decided to stay in Montana, open up a small bookstore in Helena and stick with the snowy winters.

Yet, it was all worth it.

You had been stood behind the counter, having shut early due to the weather. You had been counting your stock making sure you had enough of the popular books in stock in time for the mad-christmas dash.

That was when a knock came to the door.

"Hello?"

Rushing over, you quickly unlocked the door and let the stranger inside. He was covered in snow, his fingertips were turning red and his cheeks were flushed.

"Are you okay? What are you doing out in weather like this?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He smiled. "Sorry if I scared you."

"It's okay. Are you here to buy some books?"

He nodded, dusting off the snow with your help. Only now did you notice his shape. He was broad and tall.

"Actually, I am." He smiled. "Sorry, I should have introduced myself. Beau Arlen."

That's why he looked so familiar.

You had seen him around town every now and then, mostly making his way in and out of the coffee shop across the way, Dewell and Hoyt and some of the local stores.

"Y/N Y/L/N." you smiled back. "So, what exactly is it that you're looking for?"

"I don't know."

Your eyebrows knitted together for a moment before he pulled a piece of paper from the back of his jeans and handed it over to you.

"My daughter...she wrote me a list."

You took the list from his hands and opened it up. There was some good titles on it.

Emma, by Jane Austen.

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.

Sherlock Holmes, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Dr Suess, Chronicles of Narnia.

"I think we have some of these in stock. I'll check in the back for the others."

"Thank you."

"I've still got the fire going if you want to warm yourself up." You offered, pointing over towards the two leather sofa's that sat paralle to one another beside the fire.

"Is it safe to have a fire in a bookstore?"

"The fireplace has been there since the place was first built. I only put it on in desperate conditions." You turned back with a small smile before disappearing into the back of the store to look for some of the less commonly stocked books.

Pretty much most of them you managed to find on the shelves, Beau helping.

"Whoa." You said aloud as the rolling stairs went a little further than anticipated.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You want me to hold it still?"

You nodded. "If you don't mind."

You managed to reach the top of the bookshelves for the extra boxes, finally finding the last copy of A Christmas Carol.

"I'm usually banned from using this ladder." You told Beau. "Last time I was on it, I slipped from the fourth step and twisted my ankle."

Slowly, you climbed back down. Only, once you made it to the half way mark, you felt Beau's hands hold onto the back of your legs. They hovered just far enough from your skin to help you down but be close enough to catch you if you fell.

And it was a good job because just before you hit the bottom, your foot missed the step, sending you sliding down.

Thankfully, Beau took your waist into his hands and helped you safely to your feet.

"Thanks."

Beau smiled down, letting go of you once he knew you were okay. "You should probably get some safer ladders."

You smiled. "That's not the first time someone has told me that."

Beau gave you another smile and you found your words faltering in your mouth.

"Um," you stepped back and handed over the book. "Here you are. Is that everything? Not got another list in your back pocket, have you?"

Beau looked down with a soft chuckle. "No, not this time."

You rung up his order, asking if he'd like for them to be gift wrapped. "No, that's okay. Em's having me wrap them with her at home. She says I need the practice."

"It can't be that bad, surely."

Beau smiled and leaned onto the counter. "Whatever you're imagining, it's worse than that."

"Well, nothing can be worse than my parent's wrapping." You told him. "One year they just handed me a gift in a plastic bag with an upside down bow."

"What was it?"

"The gift? A vintage camera and record player." You smiled. "There up over there."

You pointed over towards the large wooden unit beside the fireplace.

"Did you take these photos?" Beau asked, looking to the postcards beside the register.

You smiled shyly. "I got bored one day and decided to go for a walk. There is a beautiful place by this canyon. There's a lake that runs just below it."

Beau studied the photo a little better. It seemed very familiar.

"Do you fish?"

"Sorry?"

You smiled, continuing to bag up the books. "I asked, do you fish? It's a good fishing spot if you ever wanted to try."

Beau clicked his fingers. "That's why I recognise it."

"Have you ever been on the hiking trail above it?" You asked.

"No, I- Uh...I haven't had the chance."

"Maybe, if you'd like, I could show you?"

Beau looked up and for a moment, he didn't know what you were asking. But the moment he did, he smiled, bowed his head to try and hide the texan blush on his cheeks, and nodded.

Finally he looked back up; "I'd like that."

"It might be a bit cold, but it's beautiful in the snow."

Beau smiled. "I'm sure it is."

"How about Saturday? If there's no big snow blizzard."

Beau nodded, paying his cash and picking up the bag of books from the counter. "Saturday it is."

Turning back around towards the door, Beau looked out to the snow.

"How long have you got left on your shift?"

You looked up to him, taping some boxes up. "Not long. Maybe about 10 minutes? Why?"

"Would you...would you like me to drive you home? With this snow and everything...I mean...what kind of Sheriff would I be if I let a citizen nearly die because of frost bite?"

You gave him a light smile and nodded. "That would be nice. Thank you."

Eventually, you closed the shop and followed him to his car. “So? How long have you been in Montana?”

“All my life,” you answered. “Mostly. I mean, I left to go to College but...I came back.”

“And the bookstore?”

You smiled as you explained the story to him on the way to your home. “It was something I always wanted to do. As a kid I had a vision board for my life - yes, I was that kid.” Beau smiled. “Anyway, I used to dream of owning my own bookstore and seeing kids like me find that place where they can go and just...be them. Pick up a book and...find another world. What about you? What made you want to be a Sheriff?”

“My dad,” Beau began. “We use to watch all these old westerns and he used to tell me all these cool stories of what he had done that day at work. About the people he helped.”

“He was your hero?”

Beau nodded and smiled. “Yeah.”

Finally, Beau pulled up outside of your home and you unbuckled your seat-belt. “I guess I’ll see you on Saturday?”

“I guess you will.” Beau smiled.

He waited until you unlocked your door and walked inside before he pulled away.

Maybe it was a good thing you stayed in Montana after all.