Page 54 of Beau

“I hope it is. Where did he leave it?”

“He left it on an abandoned property. The only food for the horse is grass, but with all this snow, there can’t be much left. He said there’s a creek nearby too. That boy is heading down the wrong path.”

“I hope the horse is alright.”

“Me too. So, what are you up to?”

“I’m taking a bath. Want to join me?”

Beau chuckled. “If you had asked while I was driving home, I would have stopped by.”

Brenna laughed. “If only you had called earlier...”

“Oh, so it’s my fault now.”

“Of course, it is.”

“Well, I’m sorry to have missed that opportunity. But I should probably go before I fall asleep on the phone. I need to take a shower and get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day on that property, trying to locate the horse.”

“Okay. Goodnight, Beau. Have sweet dreams.”

“They definitely will be with you in them.”

“You’re quite the smooth talker, Beau McCallister,” Brenna teased.

He laughed. “Goodnight, baby. Talk to you tomorrow.”

She hung up and smiled, knowing she would have sweet dreams as well. Was she falling for him too quickly? She liked him so much, more than just as a friend. But were his feelings the same? Only time would tell where their relationship was headed.

Sitting up, she washed herself with her sponge and then got out of the tub to put on a T-shirt and lounge pants. She climbed into bed and turned on the TV to check the weather forecast. The snow was expected to continue overnight, and she hoped school wouldn’t be canceled, although she knew it was likely if the roads became impassable.

The blaring alarm disrupted her sleep, signaling the start of a new day. It felt like she had just crawled into bed. Groaning, she got up and trudged to the bathroom before making her way to the kitchen for some much-needed coffee. She turned on the TV to check if school was canceled and was disappointed to hear that both Clifton and Hartland County schools were closed.

“Great,” she said. “Another boring day.” She walked toward the front door, opened it, and gasped at the sight of heavy snowfall. The snowflakes were so thick she couldn’t even see her parents’ house across the yard. Quickly shutting the door, she shivered in the cold.

Brenna’s mind raced as she wondered how Beau would make it to the property to find her mother’s horse. The roads were completely covered in snow. She chewed on her bottom lip, worried about the horse being out there with no food or shelter. A tear ran down her cheek as she thought about how devastated her mother would be if anything happened to that horse. It had been a part of their family for fifteen years; losing it would be heartbreaking for them all.

****

Beau cursed under his breath as he struggled to navigate his truck through the snow-covered roads. He had no choice but to find that horse, it had been missing for far too long and its food source was surely dwindling.

“I swear, if that horse is hurt in any way, I’ll be paying a visit to the detention center to kick that boy’s sorry ass,” he growled, frustration evident in his voice.

Just then, his phone buzzed, and he quickly pressed the button on the steering wheel to answer the call from his brother.

“Luke? What’s going on?” Beau asked.

“Please tell me you’re not out in this shit trying to find that horse,” Luke pleaded.

“You know I am. I can’t leave it out there any longer.”

Luke let out a heavy sigh. “I know. Do you have the department’s trailer? I can meet you at the location.”

“Yeah, I have the trailer. Are you sure?”

“Yes. If three of us are searching, maybe we’ll have better luck finding it.”

“Three of us?” Beau furrowed his brow in confusion.